Overview
The Vistadome coaches in trains were introduced by Indian Railways for different solo travellers and passengers to capture the greenery and beauty outside of the coaches. The Vistadome coaches give a very different experience featuring glass ceilings and large glass windows, these coaches provide 360-degree views of the route.
The Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw in a recent written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha said that the routes for Vistadome train journeys are selected based on natural scenic beauty.
The Vistadome coaches are used in those trains which run mostly in tourist locations where passengers can indulge in sightseeing. Some of the routes of the trains with these coaches are Madgaon and Dadar, Araku Valley, Kashmir Valley, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway etc. Passengers can also see the sky through the roof equipped with anti-glare glass.
Glimpses of the beautiful Western Ghats in 45 km stretch (Sakleshpur - Subrahmanya Ghat portion). This is the main attraction on the train route from Bengaluru to Mangalore.
The Vistadome coaches are also equipped with Wi-Fi based passenger information system and fire safety equipment. The glass windows are laminated with glass sheets in order to protect them from shattering.
Exterior view of Vistadome coaches
Interior view of Vistadome coaches
Trains with Vistadome Coaches
At present, there are 45 trains being operated with Vistadome coaches in different zones of Indian Railways. Here, you can see the list of trains operating with Vistadome coaches in 7 different zones of Indian Railways.
Central Railway zone
- Deccan Express (11007/08)
- Mumbai - Madgaon (12051/52)
- Deccan Queen Express (12123/24)
East Coast Railway zone
- Visakhapatnam - Kirandul (upto Araku) (18551/52)
Northeast Frontier Railway zone
- Alipurduar - New Jalpaiguri Express (15777/78)
- Guwahati - Badarpur Express (15887/88)
- Tinsukia - Naharlagun Express (15907/08)
- Darjeeling Joy Ride (52544/93/95/98)
- Darjeeling - New Jalpaiguri Passenger (52540/41)
- Evening Safari (52556)
Western Railway zone
- Ahmedabad - Kevadiya Express (20947/48)
- Ahmedabad - Kevadiya Express (20949/50)
- Dr. Ambedkar Nagar - Kalakund Heritage train (52965/66)
- Bilimora - Waghai (NG) Passenger (09501/02, 09071/72)
South Western Railway zone
- Yesvantpur - Mangalore Express (16539/40)
- Yesvantpur - Karwar Express (16515/16)
- Gomteshwara Express (16575/76)
- Yesvantpur - Shivamogga Express (16579/80)
Northern Railway zone
- Kalka - Shimla NG Express (52453/54)
- Him Darshan Express (52459/60)
North Eastern Railway zone
- Mailani - Bicha Tourist Special (05319/20)
The allotment of Vistadome coaches is based on different parameters such as availability of Vistadome coaches, the operational feasibility of the train on that particular route etc. Indian Railways route can get trains with Vistadome coaches, based on more passenger footfalls where there is scenic beauty and greenery.
A route for which the train should get Vistadome coaches is Tiruchirappalli - Rameswaram Route. On this route, the train will be feasible to operate by the Southern Railway zone, and the passenger travelling towards Rameswaram can get the best view of Pamban Bridge.
So, are you ready to explore the beauty and greenery on different routes of Indian Railways? I am ready. Come on and reserve your seats in the Vistadome coach on different trains. You can reserve your seats by visiting www.trainman.in