Good news for solo female travelers in India! Indian Railways is all set to make train travel in India for easier and better for women traveling alone by reserving berths for them in all coaches. The new facility is not available for women traveling with men in trains.

Six berths will be reserved for solo female travelers, irrespective of age, in sleeper class coaches of trains in India. Even groups of women travelers holding a single ticket (PNR) and traveling without men can avail the facility. If some or all of the six berths reserved for single women travelers are not booked or availed until the first chart is prepared, the berths will be allotted to solo female travelers on the wait lists. If there is no single woman passenger on the wait list, the berths will be released to senior citizens.

In case one of the six berths under women’s quota remains available until the first chart is prepared, it will be allotted to a single woman traveler among the first six passengers on the wait list if there is any. Indian Railways promises more to women travelers in the latest announcement.

Six lower berths will be reserved in all sleeper class coaches for pregnant women traveling alone by train in India. The same facility is also for solo female travelers aged 45 or above and senior citizens, irrespective of gender, to save them from the trouble of climbing up to upper berths.

Also Check: Highlights of Train Travel in India in 2019

Indian Railways has also announced reservation of three lower berths for senior citizens, pregnant women traveling alone and solo female passengers aged 45 or above in all 3-tier and 2-tier AC coaches of trains in India. Full-AC-coach trains like Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express will get 4 lower berths reserved in each of 3-tier AC coaches for the above set of passengers.

With the time passing on, train travel in India is becoming more and more women-friendly. Besides, Indian Railways is on a mission to empower women in the progress of India. Below is a testimony to it:

“Train travel is getting better in India, while air travel is getting cheaper. With more and more people from the middle and lower middle income groups taking fancy to air travel, Indian Railways is all set to woo them back with better facilities and services,” remarked the public relation officer of Indian Eagle, a leading travel booking organization.

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The tourist train between Visakhapatnam and Araku Valley has got the long-awaited European makeover in form of Vistadome glass coaches, which are somewhat modeled on the Glacier Express in Switzerland. The first of its kind in India, the air-conditioned Vistadome coaches fitted to the Visakhapatnam-Araku Valley passenger train will spellbind travelers with panoramic views of nature through large glass windows and a glass-domed ceiling, thereby giving them a feel of the Swiss Alps train.

Visakhapatnam, a short flight away from Hyderabad RGI Airport, is a popular tourist destination in Andhra Pradesh. Traveling the Visakhapatnam-Araku Valley route by train is one of the most scenic train journeys in India. On top of that, the newly launched Vistadome coaches are a pure delight to tourists. The Vistadome train coaches come with a host of breathtaking features including special observation lounges and push-back chairs with rotating seats.

Among the unique features of Vistadome coaches of the Visakhapatnam-Araku Valley passenger train are double-wide reclining seats with a 360-degree rotating facility for an overwhelming joy of sightseeing. Each of the two Vistadome coaches cost INR 3.38 crore for 40 seats. Tourists now can drink to the beauty of natural sights along the 128-km route from Visakhapatnam to Araku Valley while sitting on the reclining, rotating, pushback chairs.

What’s the most fascinating about the Vistadome coaches is the glass ceiling with electrically controlled transparency. To say precisely, opalescence of the glass-domed roof can be controlled to delight travelers with crystal-clear views of the outer world during the journey. Passengers of the Visakhapatnam-Araku Valley train can climb to special observation lounges in the Vistadome coaches for more spectacular views.

The Vistadome coaches are also fitted with automatic sliding doors and multi-tier luggage racks. The modern amenities that the glass coaches are equipped with for convenience of travelers include LED lights, GPS-enabled info system, and multiple TV screens for infotainment, according to the press release issued by Indian Railways.

The Vistadome coaches were launched for a trial run on the Visakhapatnam-Araku Valley route. Tickets for rides in these coaches will be available from April 18 for use from April 19, 2017. A ride in the Vistadome coaches may cost around INR 600.

Reportedly, two similar coaches with the same features will be added to tourist trains in Kashmir Valley in order to promote tourism.

Travel Beats is an Indian Community portal by Indian Eagle, a leading international organization for cheap flights booking. Travel Beats publishes the latest travel and tourism news for Indian Diaspora.

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In India, train travel and air travel are giving each other a tough run. When the middle-class income group started taking to the skies for the dropping fares of domestic flights in India, Indian Railways woke up to a new reality with kneejerk. Thanks to the stiff competition between air travel and train travel in India; tourists got Gatimaan Express, the fastest train from Delhi to Agra. Indians are gearing up to run at a breakneck speed with the upcoming bullet trains from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, from Delhi to Kolkata. Air India started serving traditional Indian meals and kulhad masala chai on some domestic routes, while Indian Railways approached celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor to design new menus for the few premium trains, including Tejas Express.

Most of the major railway stations in India have been equipped with Wi-Fi service, while Indian airlines are yet to introduce inflight Wi-Fi on domestic routes. However, Indian Railways is eyeing on a bigger picture by giving the much-awaited green signal to its railway station redevelopment project. The redevelopment of 400 main railway stations across India will kick off this weekend. 24 stations have been selected for the proposed redevelopment at the initial phase, which will take two years. These 24 railway stations include Howrah, Pune, Chennai Central, Kanpur Central, Bhopal, and Bandra Terminus.

The redevelopment of Indian railway stations is aimed at upgrading the existing facilities, modernizing the platforms and introducing new facilities for the convenience of modern travelers. We have curated the key highlights of Indian Railways’ redevelopment project for a better future of train travel in India.

• Renovation of station buildings to provide modern state-of-the-art facilities of an iconic structure is part of Indian Railways’ redevelopment project.
• On completion, the redevelopment project will ensure congestion free station premises for non-conflicting entry and exit. The below picture of a typical Indian railway station is expected to change for the better ensuring ultra-convenience of travelers.

• The railway stations will have separate arrival and departure points for smooth movement of incoming and outgoing travelers at peak hours of the day. Secunderabad Railway Station has this model in place.
• Indian Railways’ redevelopment project will integrate various modes of public and private transport with the railway stations in India. Reportedly, Indian Railways is planning to launch a new app integrating the services of cab aggregators for the comfort of travelers. 
• The redevelopment of Indian railway stations will culminate in availability of such essential facilities as wash rooms, cloak rooms, ATMs, pharmacy, Internet kiosks and drinking water at concourse. Catering service will also be available there.
• The railway stations will feature user-friendly international signage all over the premises from entry points to the interiors to exit points. The signage will be understandable by all sections of travelers.
• Additional facilities like retail space for shopping, food courts for dining, and hospitality will be available there to the pleasure and benefit of travelers.
• Helipads will be integrated to the infrastructure of railway stations in India as per the details of Indian Railways’ redevelopment project.
• The redeveloped railway stations will have improved facilities and ample space for drop off, pick up and parking.
• The infrastructure of Indian railway stations will consist of green buildings with natural ventilation and lighting.
• What is the best of Indian Railways’ redevelopment project is the plan to provide immediate medical facilities at railway stations.

Also Check Upcoming Kaziranga Express for Wildlife Tourism

Travel Beats is an Indian Community portal by IndianEagle, a leading international organization for air travel booking. Travel Beats publishes the latest tourism news and travel stories for Indian Diaspora.

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The Ministry of Indian Railways is up with good news for wildlife lovers and wildlife photographers. A passage for train travel to the rich wildlife of Northeast India has been proposed. Rajen Gohain, the Minister of State for Railways from Assam, has proposed a train for wildlife enthusiasts to explore the Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World heritage site in Northeast India.

Named Kaziranga Express, the proposed tourist train would run from Delhi to the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, if it gets approval from Indian Railways. The new wildlife train would operate on the lines of the Tiger Express, a semi luxury tourist train. Launched in June this year to explore the wildlife of Central India, the Tiger Express runs from Delhi to Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks in Madhya Pradesh.

One of the best wildlife sanctuaries in India, the Kaziranga National Park is home to the world’s largest numbers of single-horned rhinoceroses and wild water buffaloes. Located in the eastern Himalaya biodiversity belt, the sanctuary also houses wild boar, eastern swamp deer, elephants, gaur, leopard cat, Bengal fox, Golden jackal, Chinese pangolin, golden languor, flying squirrel, Ganges dolphin, Assamese macaque and other animals.

The Kaziranga Express may also connect to other popular tourist places in Assam like the Kamakhya Temple, the Manas National Park and tea gardens. A road trip to Shillong may be added to the itinerary, which is yet to be finalized. A journey by the Kaziranga Express from Delhi to Assam would be a complete package including onboard food, hotel accommodation, local transport, jungle safari and other facilities. Different packages for different budgets are being designed.

To be modeled on the Tiger Express, the upcoming wildlife tourist train will have an AC dining car and semi-luxury coaches. Both Indian Railways and the Assam Tourist Development Corporation (ATDC) are working on a sustainable model to keep the train running without making financial losses in times of poor occupancy.

The Kaziranga Express is part of the national agenda to connect the isolated hilly region of northeastern states with the mainland of India through a sustainable rail network which is supposed to be completed by 2020.

The proposed Kaziranga Express would cover more than 2,000km between Delhi and Assam’s Kaziranga wildlife sanctuary. The final report on the proposal is expected by the end of October 2016.

Travel Beats is a digital news magazine for Indian Diaspora by IndianEagle, a US-based leading travel organization. Subscribe to Travel Beats’ free newsletter for latest news, stories, features and interviews.

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India is all set to run at a breakneck speed by adding a new bullet train from Delhi to Varanasi to its list of high speed trains including Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train which was announced last year. The second bullet train will cover the distance of 782 km between Delhi and Varanasi in only 2 hours 40 minutes.

Delhi to Varanasi, part of the Delhi-Kolkata corridor, is one of the busiest routes for pilgrimage and tourism in India. The proposed Delhi-Varanasi bullet train will pass through two popular tourist places: Agra and Lucknow. Varanasi is a most popular pilgrimage destination for Hindus and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha Constituency.

Currently, a high-speed bullet train from Delhi to Varanasi has been proposed. The feasibility of extending the Delhi-Varanasi high-speed rail corridor up to Kolkata is being studied by a Spanish firm. The firm will submit the report in November 2016. If the extension of the corridor up to Kolkata gets approved, the bullet train will reach Kolkata from Varanasi via Patna, Gaya, Asansol and Burdwan in 2 hours 16 minutes.

The bullet train from Delhi to Varanasi will reportedly cost about INR 43,000 crore while the entire Delhi-Kolkata stretch will cost around INR 84,000. India Railways has also proposed the idea of operating high-speed double-decker trains on this corridor.

The proposed bullet train will travel from Delhi to Kolkata in only 4 hours 56 minutes, which is a far cry from the Rajdhani Express’ 18-hour journey on the same route.

Travel Beats is a digital portal for Indians and NRIs by IndianEagle, a leading international travel organization. Travel Beats publishes interesting stories and news about the worldwide Indian Community in travel, culture, entertainment and lifestyle.

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If Monisha Rajesh, an Indo-British journalist, had traveled by trains across India in 2016, her book “Around India in 80 Trains” would have had a few more pages about the transformation of train travel in India. Undeniably, her train journeys from Kashmir to Kanyakumari would have not been full of offbeat experiences due to current new coaches with passenger-friendly amenities, free Wi-Fi facility on railway stations and e-catering food service on trains. She would have traveled to Agra from Delhi in 1 hour 45 minutes, sipped different 25 flavors of tea and tasted home-cooked local meals during journeys. IndianEagle lists several new reasons to travel by train in India for tourists like Monisha Rajesh.

25 Varieties of Tea to Enhance Joy of Train Rides  

Image Credit: MENSXP.com

Tea is one of the new reasons to travel by train in India. Is it a new beverage to drink while traveling by trains? A big NO! Since the inception of Indian Railways, tea has been available on trains. Now train travelers will be provided with a list of 25 tea varieties to pick their favorite flavors from. Interestingly, the 25 varieties of tea can further be customized in as many as 1200 ways. Read more about the new flavors of tea to be served on Indian trains.

Train Hostesses Serve Travelers in Compartments     

Image Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

Of all Indian trains, the Gatimaan Express from Delhi to Agra offers the sophistication of air travel. Launched on April 5, 2016, the Delhi to Agra semi high speed train has a team of 15 hostesses, dressed in blue jackets and black trousers, to welcome passengers on board and ensure their convenience. Trained in behavioral etiquettes and fluent in English communication, the Gatimaan Express’ hostesses can give a competition to air hostesses. Know why you should travel on Gatimaan Express.

Home-cooked Food Supply to Passengers on Trains

There is no alternative to fresh home-cooked food, which is one of the new reasons for traveling by train in India. Indian Railways, in collaboration with self-help groups of farmers, has launched a pilot project to supply onboard passengers with home-cooked food from local cuisines during their train journeys in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. A similar initiative has been launched on some trains in Kerala. Travelers can place orders online by logging on to the website of Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor to Design New Menu for Passengers  

If the above three reasons are not compelling enough to make you travel by train in India, a new menu to be crafted by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor for passengers will be an irresistible attraction of train travel across the country. Reportedly, Indian Railways has approached Chef Sanjeev Kapoor to design a tasty yet pocket-friendly menu for travelers.

Advance Meals Booking through e-Catering Service   

Image Credit: Financialexpress.com

Again, foodies have more reasons to travel by train in India than others. Indian Railways’ e-catering service for online food order on trains and at stations has been gaining momentum since its launch in 2014. Station-based e-catering facility, which is currently available at 45 railway stations, will be gradually extended to 410 major stations. Leading ready-to-eat food brands including Haldiram’s, Bikanerwala, KFC, Domino’s Pizza, Chaayos and likes have joined the e-catering scheme. Travellers can book their meals online or via SMSs or over phone or through apps like Travelkhana.

Trains and Railway Stations to Get Bio Toilets

Image Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

Indian trains and railway stations are often sneered for lack of cleanliness. Indian Railways has undertaken several initiatives including installation of bio toilets and dustbins in train coaches to improve the picture of train travel in India. Besides, travelers can send an SMS using the newly launched ‘clean my coach’ app to get their compartments cleaned. Such a passenger-friendly service is an unavoidable reason for traveling by trains in India.

Free Wi-Fi Access at Major Indian Railways Stations 

Free Wi-Fi access at major Indian railway stations is one of the new reasons to travel by train in India. Indian Railways, in partnership with Google, has brought 10 major city railway stations including Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kochi, Vishakhapatnam, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Ranchi and Vijayawada under the purview of free Wi-Fi facility, which will be extended to other railway stations across India in the next phases.

Modern Amenities at Railway Stations of Pilgrim Centers   

Indian Railways is all set to revolutionize train travel for pilgrimage across the country. The railway stations of popular Indian pilgrim centers such as Ajmer, Tirupati, Haridwar, Dwarka, Varanasi and Amritsar will soon be beautified and equipped with passenger-friendly amenities. Even plans to make train coaches more disabled friendly for the old and the differently abled are underway.

Also Read New Luxury Trains for Affordable Travel in India

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What is the best today may not be the same tomorrow. Yes, India’s longest Vembanad rail bridge in Kerala will soon lose its fame to Madhya Pradesh. Indian Railways plans to build a longer rail bridge in Madhya Pradesh than the existing 4.62 km long in Kerala. So the new rail bridge will be three and a half times longer than the longest Vembanad Rail Bridge in Kerala.

While the world’s tallest rail bridge over the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir is under construction and India’s fastest train ‘Gatimaan Express’ is ready to hit the track, India is planning to get the longest rail bridge in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh. The upcoming longest bridge with railway lines in India will boast a length of 14 kilometers on the up line.

Indian Railways has already conducted an initial survey on technical aspects of the project following an official approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). Even the design of the upcoming longest rail bridge in Madhya Pradesh is ready. The construction would be completed in 5 years at the cost of INR 600 crore.

On completion, it would be India’s longest rail bridge in Madhya Pradesh. The bridge will be equipped with digital signaling to ensure safe operations of both goods and passenger trains. Digital signaling would be maintained online. Reportedly, goods trains are often delayed by two or four hours due to traffic congestion on the route through Katni Junction in Madhya Pradesh. Once the bridge is in place, delay of goods trains will considerably be reduced.

The Vembanad Rail Bridge from Edapally to Vallarpadam in Kochi was built over the Vembanad Lake in 2010. The 80% of the bridge is over water offering beautiful views of the serene landscape. Madhya Pradesh’s Katni Railway Junction is located in a forested area. So the upcoming longest rail bridge in Madhya Pradesh is expected to be built across a scenic route crossing the Katni River.

Jabalpur is the nearest airport at 100km distance from Katni. Katni has good road connectivity with Bhopal, Nagpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Among the tourist places in Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh National Park is in proximity to Katni.

Travel Beats is a fast-growing news portal by IndianEagle, a leading international travel organization. It publishes the latest news from India, USA, Canada, aviation, tourism and NRI communities.

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Tea and travel are synonymous in India. Tea is a must have during train travel and a must find on Indian trains. Since the inception of railways in India, tea has been a most popular beverage during train travels in all seasons. For the first time in the history of tea in India, as many as 25 varieties of tea or chai will be available on trains.

Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has partnered with a leading tea café chain to provide passengers with a list of 25 varieties of tea on trains. Passengers can choose to have their favorite flavors from the list. The 25 varieties of tea can further be customized in more than 1200 ways.

Only two variants of tea on Indian trains – milk tea and black or lemon tea – have been available till date. Travelers’ taste has changed with changing times. These days several different beverages including coffee, soup, condensed milk and soft drinks are also available. Naturally the travelers who are tea lovers crave different varieties of tea.

Soon-to-be-served 25 varieties of tea on Indian trains include ‘hari mirch’ chai, ‘adrak’ chai, ‘tulsi’ chai, honey ginger lemon chai, ‘aam papad’ chai, masala chai, ‘desi’ chai and likes. Passengers can choose to be served any tea type in kulhad (clay pot) or plastic cups.

IRCTC has also come up with a mobile app for travelers to access the list of 25 tea varieties and order their favorite flavors. They will get 10% cash back offer on orders of tea worth INR 300 or more through the mobile app. However, travelers should order their favorite picks from the list of 25 varieties of tea 2 hours before their trains’ scheduled departure and arrival.

This initiative by IRCTC to pamper travelers answers ‘Why is tea important in India?’ Sipping different flavors of tea on Indian trains would be an unforgettable experience for tea lovers.

Recently, Indian masala tea in kulhad or clay pot has been added to the menu on Air India flights between Delhi and Mumbai. Read more about kulhad chai on Air India flights. – IndianEagle

Travel Beats is a culture & entertainment portal for Indian diaspora by IndianEagle, a leading international travel booking organization. It publishes the latest news from India, USA, Canada, NRIs, and aviation.

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The government of India took another step towards the ambitious project “Make In India” by inking a 98K crore INR deal with Japan for the first bullet train. The first bullet train in India will be plying between Ahmedabad and Mumbai as per the project which got the official nod on Wednesday. It will be publicly announced when Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be present in India this week.

India’s first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on the west coast is supposed to be the world’s cheapest high-speed train service. Initially, the fare model of the Japanese bullet train with AC coaches was the roadblock for this project in India. The feasibility of the project in terms of fares to be afforded by Indians has been worked out.

According to the current fare model, a one-way trip on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train will cost 2800 INR, a little more than 1895 INR, the fare of traveling in the first class AC coach on the same route. Currently, the Ahmedabad-Mumbai trains in service take approximately 8 hours to cover 534 kilometers on one way. But, the first bullet in India will reportedly take less than 2 hours for the same distance.

India’s bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will be the cheapest of all the fastest trains in the world, including Japan’s Maglev Bullet Train, China’s Shanghai Maglev, China’s Harmony CRH380A, France’s TGV Reseau, Spain’s Siemens Velaro E/AVS 103 and Talgo 350. A 713-km ride on Japan’s Tohoku Shinkansen charges 8K INR and a ride in the second class of China’s Jinghu High Speed Railway costs INR 5000 on the Beijing-Shanghai route.     

The first bullet train in India will run at a speed of 320 km per hour. At present, the Delhi-Agra Gatimaan Express running at a speed of 160 km per hour is the fastest train in India. The bullet train will hit the track between Ahmedabad and Mumbai by 2023, and the project will be commissioned in 2017. The bullet train corridor will have around 10 stations. As per the initial estimates, more or less 40,000 people will ride the bullet train every day on completion in 2023.

Questions have been raised about usefulness of the first bullet train in India in the context of decreasing fares for domestic flights between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Some opine that the estimated fare INR 2800 for one-way ride on the bullet train may be equal to the future cost of one-way flight ticket for the same route.

Travel Beats is a news, cultural and entertainment portal by IndianEagle for the Indian diaspora. It publishes the latest news and stories about India, USA, Canada and NRIs.

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