New Delhi: The parameters of travelling in Indian trains are all set to be re-defined as 2403/2404 Amritsar-Saharsa Express – the first in the series of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's dream project ''Garib Rath'', the low-cost, air-conditioned train for the common man – hits the track on Wednesday on its maiden journey.
Mahatma Gandhi always travelled in the now-defunct third class compartment in an Indian train because poor people of the country could not afford the luxury of upper class journey.
Prasad had originally planned to launch the train on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, as a tribute to the father of the nation.
Incidentally, it would have been in perfect tune with 'Gandhigiri', a Bollywood catchphrase that has come to be famously associated with national consciousness.
Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, now on a visit to South Africa, talked about Lage Raho Munnabhai, the latest Sanjay Dutt blockbuster that gave the word 'Gandhigiri'.
Despite missing the deadline by two days, the mood in the Railway Ministry is upbeat. ''We are going to make a success story of Garib Rath,'' A K Chandra, DGM, East Central Railway, said.
It is bound to be a success story as it is targeted at lower middle class passengers. It is a big occasion for Indian Railways. This experiment is unprecedented in any railway system in the world, Chandra said.
Prasad will flag off the train at Saharsha, once his parliamentary constituency in Bihar, at 0900 hrs, IST and it will reach Amritsar after a 26-hour journey. But the regular run of the train will be from the Amritsar side. The train leaving Saharsa at 0620 hrs, IST will reach Amritsar at 0820 hrs, IST the following day.
The introductory, first-of-its-kind AC three-tier train has altogether 18 coaches, comprising 12 sleeper coaches, four chair cars and two generator cars, which will supply power for the air-conditioning system.
It has 75 berths in sleeper coach as against 64 in the normal AC three-tier coaches. In chair cars, the number of seats has been augmented from 72 seats to 104.
The fares would be 40-45 per cent less as compared to normal AC trains, depending upon the destination.
''In a normal AC train, the fare for travelling in three-tier AC coach from Saharsa to Amritsar is Rs 1300. In Garib Rath, it is going to be about Rs 690 – 45 per cent less,'' Chandra said.
Despite the low fare, ministry officials are confident of earning profits. ''Since the number of seats has been increased, the Railways will make a profit of 20 per cent. Also, its basic aim to turn the non-AC travellers to AC trains will be achieved,'' they point out. Also, it will serve the minister's keen desire to woo back the rail travellers from the low-budget, no-frills airlines, they say.
The argument advanced by the officials is that if a full-capacity air-conditioned train has to be run, it should be able to undercut low-cost no-frills airlines.
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