Railways plans double-decker AC trains

With a view to making air-conditioned travel more affordable, Indian Railways may start fully air-conditioned double decker trains in the country.

"In line with the objective of providing affordable air-conditioned service, we will also make efforts to start fully air-conditioned double decker trains," Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said while presenting the Railway Budget for 2006-07.

The Railway Budget also proposes to start a fully air-conditioned "Garib Rath" (poor's chariot) on a pilot project basis in which the fares will be 25 per cent lower than the present AC-III tier.

Initially, the superfast AC Garib Rath will run between Delhi-Patna, Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Chennai and Sarasa-Amritsar.

The Railway Budget 2006-07