FE Online had the opportunity to review the exterior and interior of the train soon after it was unveiled by the Railway Minister.

Humsafar Express, one of the trains announced by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu during his Rail Budget 2016 speech, is all ready to start plying on the Anand Vihar to Gorakhpur route. The all AC-3 tier train has been loaded with multiple features aimed at giving the common man a taste of ‘affordable luxury’. FE Online had the opportunity to review the exterior and interior of the train soon after it was unveiled by the Railway Minister.

The exterior of the train is vinyl coated, making it anti-graffiti. The Humsafar Express coaches (Linke Hofmann Busch-type) have been given a vibrant new look an feel with the blend of four colours; blue, yellow, orange and green. The train will have the system of dynamic fares. While the rates have not been decided yet, Prabhu has indicated that the fares will be higher than the normal AC-3 tier service.

Watch our extensive review of the Humsafar Express:

The interior has comfortable and colourful berths with curtains to ensure passenger privacy. There are mobile and laptop charging points next to each column of berths. Apart from that, the seat number stickers are braille integrated. The train has sleek new bottle holders next to the seat and the mirror between the berths is unbreakable. There are odour control systems, GPS-based information systems, toilet occupancy indicators, CCTV cameras. The train also boasts of a special fire and smoke detection and control system.

Also check: Humsafar Express: 15 facts that make the new train for common man super cool!

The toilets have plush interiors, with soap dispensers and heat detection devices. Each toilet has an odour control system that is attached to the flush. Each time you flush, a fragrance is released. In line with the mission to make tracks defecation free, the train has been fitted with bio-toilets.

In India, major long distance trains have pantry cars; with the introduction of e-catering in 2015, Railways had started withdrawing pantry cars from long distance trains. With this policy in mind, Railways has done away with a pantry car in the Humsafar Express. Rather, each coach has a small pantry unit which is equipped with a coffee/tea/soup vending machine, a heating chamber and a refrigerating box. This ensures that food can be served hot and perishable items can be preserved.

All in all, we give Indian Railways a thumbs up after reviewing the new train. We believe that with its focus on passenger comfort and safety, the Humsafar Express is a definite step towards better rail travel in India.