Are there any double-decker coaches in use today in India?

June 22, 2019, 12:24 PM

Much of the information here is likely out of date! Double-decker coaches are found on several WR trains such as the 9021 dn Flying Ranee running between Surat and Mumbai Central (WR), Saurashtra Exp., the Bharuch-Virar shuttle, Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Anand Passenger, and the Valsad Fast Passenger. The Pune – Daund Passenger on CR had double-decker rakes until late 2001 or early 2002.

The Flying Ranee double-decker rake is air-braked. Recently [2/02] The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Gujarat Express acquired some double-decker coaches in its rake. These are believed to be vacuum-braked. Newer [3/03] reports are that around 12-14 double-decker coaches are allocated to the Gujarat Exp. rake. [1/04] The Gujarat express no longer runs with double-decker coaches.

In the past, the Deccan Queen has briefly run with double-decker passenger stock; the double-deckers were meant for monthly pass-holders. The Gujarat Mail from Ahmedabad and the Saurashtra Mail also had double-decker coaches as general coaches.

The Sinhagad Exp. ran for quite some time with double-decker coaching. The Sinhagad’s rake (10 double-decker coaches) is now used for the Pune-Daund-Baramati shuttle, and the Sinhagad has reverted to a normal 18-coach rake. There were proposals for an air-conditioned double-decker rake for the Sinhagad but these came to naught.

The Sahyadri Exp. (7303 down) ran with two double-decker coaches between Bombay and Pune; the coaches were re-used in the up direction by attaching to the Sinhagad rake. The Panchavati Exp. also ran with double-decker stock for some time. The Brindavan Exp. also ran with double-decker coaches a few times (dates?). The Howrah-Dhanbad Black Diamond Exp. also had double-decker coaches (until 1994); the double-decker rake used to be stabled at Asansol. It was condemned at Bally yard and sold for scrap by 1995.

Another train that had double-decker coaches at one time was the Ernakulam-Trivandrum Vanchinad Exp. (around 1981, for about 3 years). The Venad Express is also said to have had double-decker coaches at one time.

ये भी पढ़े – सरदार वल्लभ भाई पटेल के ये 10 विचार आज भी रगों में भर देते हैं जोश

The double-deckers in use today are ICF designs and modified from the basic integral shell used for most coaches. They have a single level at either end, with the double-deck portion forming most of the middle of the coach. The underframe of the coach has a well that gives the lower deck sufficient space. RCF is currently [2/02] working on producing new double-decker coaches based on a newer design (but still with the integral shell design which is used for most IR coaches). These newer coaches will have a seating capacity of 136.

Double-decker rakes in general were never very popular for a variety of reasons (too cramped — not enough space for luggage, restrictions on using the windows, too hot in the upper deck, inconvenient access from the windows to platform vendors, etc.).

In 2010, IR started on a new push for double-decker coaches, with RCF manufacturing a new design of air-conditioned double-decker coaches seating 128 passengers and capable of being run at 160km/h. The shell design is said to be new. Suspension uses Eurofima bogies with air springs. The coaches are made of stainless steel. The overall height is about 4.5 inches more than that of normal coaches. Among other things, these coaches have controlled-discharge toilets and several safety-related features as well.

Apart from these recent onces, the East Indian Railway tried out double-decker coaches in 1862. The BBCI Rly. also experimented with these in the 1860s (an illustration of one of these appears in several books on IR). These designs used 4-wheel stock with very limited headroom on both decks because of restrictions from the loading gauge. A vice-regal carriage was also in use which was a double-decker carriage, with the lower deck being an extremely constrained space for servants. In the 1890s, a double-decker using bogie stock was designed by Mr Pearce, the C&W Superintendent of the EIR, but this was never manufactured.

Source – IFRCA.org

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