New bullet trains to have toilets with make-up mirrors, breastfeeding rooms
Rail passengers can look forward to an entirely new kind of toilet system — urinals, western-style toilets with hot water and washing closet seat facility and separate washrooms for men and women equipped with triple mirrors for make-up.
The E5 Shinkansen series bullet trains to be pressed into service on the upcoming MumbaiAhmedabad high speed corridor will also have baby changing rooms comprising baby toilet seats, tables for diaper disposal and a low sink for children for washing hands.
Railways is gearing up to acquire 25 E5 Shinkasen series bullet trains from Japan at an estimated cost of ~5,000 crore for the Narendra Modi government’s first bullet train project.
The 731-seater E5 series Shinkwill ansen bullet train, a new generation Japanese high speed train, will also have multi- purpose room to be used for breast feeding and also for sick passengers.
Besides, there will be two extra-spacious toilets for wheelchair-bound passengers in the 10-coach high-speed train.
Facilities of separate restrooms and toilets for men and women while introducing wallmounted type urinals for men in the high speed train are in the offing for the first time in Indian Railways, said a senior railway ministry official involved with the ~1lakh crore bullet train project.
However, urinals and toilets be installed in alternate coaches in the train. For example, toilets will be installed in coach number 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 while urinals will be available in coach number 2, 4, 6 and 8.
Washrooms for men and women will also be placed in similar way.
There will be luggage space for business class passengers in the train. Besides business, there will be also standard class passengers. While the train will have 698 seats for standard class, 55 seats will be earmarked for business class.
The bullet train with seating facility will take about 2 hours 7 minutes to travel 508-km distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
Most of the corridor will be elevated, except for a 21-km underground tunnel between Thane and Virar, of which 7 km will be under sea.