Yo! Vizag previously wrote how the country’s first vistadome coaches in the passenger train from Vizag to Araku would soon be flagged off and posted exclusive pictures of the same. Now, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has flagged off these coaches with specially designed glass roofs, rotatable seats, GPS and on-board entertainment yesterday through video conference.
The glass domes of the coaches have electronically controlled opalescence and as a result the transparency of the roof can be adjusted. So travellers along the picturesque Vizag-Araku stretch can now relax and enjoy the view along the way. The vistadome coaches have special facilities for the aged and disabled, consisting of wide side doors and automatically sliding compartment doors. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted, “The #VistadomeCoaches,unique offering which will enable tourists to enjoy scenic beauty not only at destination but also along the journey.”
The coaches will most likely begin their run by Wednesday this week and they will have an observation lounge that will be attached to the existing Vizag-Araku-Kirandul passenger daily. “They will be detached at Araku in the morning and attached again when the train returns in the evening,” Waltair divisional railway manager Chandralekha Mukherjee told TOI. “The fare of these coaches will be higher than the existing general fare.”
“This is just the beginning, we have more surprises in store. Plans are afoot to introduce the Vistadome services in the scenic north eastern states to promote tourism,” the Railway Minister stated during the inaugural. The vistadome project will provide 15 jobs both on and off site.
The project that was finally launched yesterday has been in the pipeline since long, conceived in a bid to attract more tourists to Visakhapatnam and Andhra Pradesh. The services will be opened to public from Wednesday this week with passengers able to book tickets for the same online from Tuesday. The price of the ticket stands at Rs 650 per person. The train will leave Vizag at 7:15 AM daily and leave Araku by 4 PM.
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