IRCTC Latest News: Now Solar Energy to Power Railways Passenger Coaches | Details Here

IRCTC Latest News Today: Day after rolling out first air conditioned three-tier economy class coaches, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that nearly 60 passenger coaches have been equipped with solar panel for meeting their light and fan power requirements. Apart from these 60 passenger coaches, Goyal added that 10 non-air-conditioned coaches at Mathura to run in the Mathura-Alwar railway section as well as 30 Non-air-conditioned passenger coaches in the Lucknow-Varanasi railway section are to be equipped with solar power technology.

Giving further details, Goyal said the Railways introduced the Solar Power Technology on passenger trains running between Sarai Rohila (Delhi) and Farrukh Nagar (Haryana) in July 2017 for meeting the light and fan load requirement.

The minister also added that 14 coaches of the Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) Trailer Coaches (TCs) based at Shakurbasti in Delhi are using the technology.

He informed that as many as 10 such coaches are being used in the Swatchata Express at Delhi, six are being used in the DEMU based at Jamalpur, Bihar.

Also 10 non-AC passenger coaches of Lucknow-Varanasi Intercity are using solar power, while 13 non-AC passenger coaches under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Funding of IRFC based at Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh (Sitapur-Delhi-Rewari Section) are using solar power.

Seven non-AC coaches in Train No. 12084-83 Janshatabdi Express, Tamil Nadu are also using such coaches, he said.

He further said that 10 non-AC coaches at Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, (to run in Mathura-Alwar Section) and 30 non-AC passenger coaches in Lucknow-Varanasi Section are to be equipped with solar power technology.

It should be noted here that the Railways on Wednesday rolled out its first air conditioned three-tier economy class coach which is being touted by the ministry to be synonymous with the cheapest and best AC travel in the world. These coaches will be economical and in between the current AC three-tier and non-AC sleeper class.

Each coach is provided with a wider and one disabled friendly toilet entry door which is a new initiative. Several design improvements have also been made for improving passenger comfort like redesigning the AC ducting to provide individual vents for each berth.