Railways is planning to introduce AC double decker coaches in Yuva trains, which would cater to the young generation and run at 150 km per hour.
The trains will be launched soon between Delhi-Kolkata and Mumbai-Delhi as a pilot project.
The double decker coaches will be equipped with chair cars for seating arrangements like Shatabdi trains, a senior official in the railway ministry said.
There will be a total 108 seats in the train and the entire double decker will be air conditioned.
Being developed at Rail Coach factory in Kapurthala, the new AC double decker will be six inches taller than the existing ones running between Mumbai-Pune and Surat-Mumbai.
It is being made fully AC to prevent dust entering the lower deck as it is at par with the platform, said the official.
A prototype coach is being readied at Kapurthala and it is expected to be completed by January 26 next for a trial run on the tracks.
"Currently a mail or express train is provided with 24 coaches and we cannot add more coaches considering the length of the platform. So we have to explore the vertical expansion and the double decker is the answer," said the official.
"If everything goes according to the plan, we may unveil the coach on Republic Day," added the official.
Railway minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the introduction of the Yuva trains dedicated specially for the young generation in the Rail Budget.
"These trains will be introduced between major cities to ensure that the youth and low income groups can travel at low rates between these cities. The new low priced fast train service will be started to connect youth in rural hinterlands to major metros and cities," Mamata has stated in her budget speech.
"The train will provide air conditioned seated accommodation and will run from point to point for distances ranging from 1,000 km to 2500 km. The fare will be Rs 299 for distances up to 1,500 km and Rs 399 for distances up to 2,500 km," she had said.
