Security nod,but double-decker train yet to begin run

The then Railway Board decided to modify around 18 platforms on the route by removing 4-5 inches of concrete.

The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety CCRS Lucknow,Prashant Kumar,told The Indian Express that his his office had conducted all the trials after widening of various platforms and had given clearance to run this double- decker train between 100 km and 110 km per hourthe coaches of the train are designed to run between 130 km and 160 km per hourexcept on tracks close to the platforms.

Now,it is up to the Railway Board to decide about its operations,he said.

A senior officer of the Eastern Railways said after widening all the platforms,the Railway Board has decided to wait for some more time to run the train.

Railway Board spokesman Anil Saxena said nothing could be said about the operation of this train.

The train was rolled out on October 16,2010 by Rail Coach Factory,Kapurthala but has not made a single run till date.

Sources said till date around Rs 60 crore have been spent on this prestigious Indian Railways projectmanufacturing and other arrangements of this train including trials and widening of the platforms on the route where it was supposed to be run.

The double decker coach was manufactured at Rs 2.5 crore while a Shatabdi coach at the cost of Rs 2.3 crore,the additional Rs 20 lakh on one coach ensuring an increase in seating capacity.