Better toilets, aesthetical coaches, fewer jerks: Railways begins major upgradation of Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi trains

The Railway board has directed all zones to carry out detailed rake inspection of the trains to identify deficiencies and prepare a comprehensive short-term action plan for rectification and monitoring.

Better toilets, spruced up interiors and fewer jerks: Passengers travelling in Shatabdi Express, or its economical version – Jan Shatabdi Express – can expect to experience all this and more in days to come as the Railways has planned complete upgradation of these two key trains in its network.

The Railway board has directed all zones to carry out detailed rake inspection of the trains to identify deficiencies and prepare a comprehensive short-term action plan for rectification and monitoring.

The key areas identified for upgradation are toilets, and passenger amenities such as charging ports, snack tables and foot rests, etc. Besides, focus would be on providing a smoother quality of ride through reduction of jerks in coaches.

“…concerned Primary Railways are advised to carry out detailed rake inspections, and prepare a comprehensive action plan covering… toilets including doors, engagement locks, wash basins, flushing systems, amenities, drainage etc… Seat upholstery and associated amenity items (Charging ports, snack tables, foot rests, arm rests, roller blinds, magazine pockets, etc.),” said the board in a letter issued to officials.

Other areas, which are likely to see improvement, are vestibule and gangway, overhead panels, coach interiors, panels, flooring inside coaches and toilet areas, exterior aesthetics of coaches, window glasses and destination, and lighting.

Officials said that the strengthening of digital passenger information systems (PAPIS) along with CCTV-based surveillance will be done to enhance safety and communication.

“Railways have planned to upgrade around 100 services (50 trains) of Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi trains. It is part of Railways’ initiative to modernise the existing trains. Total expenditure required for this is yet to be finalised. Zonal Railways will implement this scheme. They have been asked to carry out audits, identify gaps, and implement corrective measures,” said a senior Railways official.

The first Shatabdi train was introduced in 1988 between New Delhi and Jhansi. It was considered one of the most premium chair car trains at the time – a tag it continued to enjoy till the arrival of Vande Bharat chair car trains.

Jan Shatabdi trains were introduced in 2002.

Some of the key Shatabdi train routes are Lucknow-New Delhi, New Delhi-Kalka, New Delhi-Dehradun, Pune-Secunderabad, Chennai-Bengaluru, New Delhi-Amritsar, Howrah-Puri and Chennai Central-Coimbatore.

The Jan Shatabdi trains run on Howrah-Patna, Old Delhi-Kotdwar, Haridwar-Amritsar, Kota-Hazrat Nizamuddin, Raigarh-Gondia, Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode, and Bangalore City-Shivamogga town routes.

Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation. Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries: Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development. What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations. Find all stories by Dheeraj Mishra here ... Read More

Better toilets, spruced up interiors and fewer jerks: Passengers travelling in Shatabdi Express, or its economical version – Jan Shatabdi Express – can expect to experience all this and more in days to come as the Railways has planned complete upgradation of these two key trains in its network.

The Railway board has directed all zones to carry out detailed rake inspection of the trains to identify deficiencies and prepare a comprehensive short-term action plan for rectification and monitoring.

The key areas identified for upgradation are toilets, and passenger amenities such as charging ports, snack tables and foot rests, etc. Besides, focus would be on providing a smoother quality of ride through reduction of jerks in coaches.

“…concerned Primary Railways are advised to carry out detailed rake inspections, and prepare a comprehensive action plan covering… toilets including doors, engagement locks, wash basins, flushing systems, amenities, drainage etc… Seat upholstery and associated amenity items (Charging ports, snack tables, foot rests, arm rests, roller blinds, magazine pockets, etc.),” said the board in a letter issued to officials.

Other areas, which are likely to see improvement, are vestibule and gangway, overhead panels, coach interiors, panels, flooring inside coaches and toilet areas, exterior aesthetics of coaches, window glasses and destination, and lighting.

Officials said that the strengthening of digital passenger information systems (PAPIS) along with CCTV-based surveillance will be done to enhance safety and communication.

“Railways have planned to upgrade around 100 services (50 trains) of Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi trains. It is part of Railways’ initiative to modernise the existing trains. Total expenditure required for this is yet to be finalised. Zonal Railways will implement this scheme. They have been asked to carry out audits, identify gaps, and implement corrective measures,” said a senior Railways official.

The first Shatabdi train was introduced in 1988 between New Delhi and Jhansi. It was considered one of the most premium chair car trains at the time – a tag it continued to enjoy till the arrival of Vande Bharat chair car trains.

Jan Shatabdi trains were introduced in 2002.

Some of the key Shatabdi train routes are Lucknow-New Delhi, New Delhi-Kalka, New Delhi-Dehradun, Pune-Secunderabad, Chennai-Bengaluru, New Delhi-Amritsar, Howrah-Puri and Chennai Central-Coimbatore.

The Jan Shatabdi trains run on Howrah-Patna, Old Delhi-Kotdwar, Haridwar-Amritsar, Kota-Hazrat Nizamuddin, Raigarh-Gondia, Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode, and Bangalore City-Shivamogga town routes.