Imagine being welcomed into a train by a hostess who presents you a rose bud as soft music plays in the background. Yes, this is going to become a reality very soon, with the railways deciding to introduce train hostesses on soon to be launched Delhi-Agra Gatiman Express. This train will be the first to run at a speed of 160 kmph. The train will be launched next month. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will be announcing the special features of the first semi-high speed train in the country while presenting the Rail Budget on February 25. What’s different about this train? The train will have a high-power emergency braking system, automatic fire alarm, GPS-based passenger information system and sliding doors in the coaches. There will also be live TV service as part of infotainment. A senior railway ministry official said, ‘We are trying to provide best possible services in Gatiman matching the flight services," said a senior railway ministry official.’

Gatiman express will have train hostesses.

Like flights, there would be hostesses on the train and catering will also match the standard of airliners, he said. According to railway sources, since the fare will be 25 per cent higher than Shatabdi Express, catering services in Gatiman Express will also be better.

There’ll be no end to food.

Both Indian and continental cuisine will be served on the train. Passengers will have an assortment of food to choose from. There will be wholewheat upma, mini dosa, Kanjeevaram idli, fresh cut fruits, aloo kulcha with swiss roll, roasted dry fruit and chicken roll. Chicken sausages with Spanish egg white omelette and date walnut slice cakes will also be served in bone china crockery.

It will be reasonable, not unaffordable.

The fare for chair car in fully airconditioned Gatiman Express has been fixed at Rs 690, while a passenger will be required to spend Rs 1,365 for travelling Executive Class. In Delhi-Agra Shatabadi Express, the chair car fare is Rs 540 and Rs 1,040 for Executive Class.

It’ll be quicker

Equipped with a 5,400 HP electric locomotive, the train will have 12 coaches. While Shatabdi takes 120 minutes to cover the 200 km distance, Gatiman Express proposes to complete the journey in 105 minutes.

And more versions of this train will be out soon!

The Indian Railway plans to roll out such trains on 9 more routes including Kanpur-Delhi, Chandigarh-Delhi, Hyderabad-Chennai, Nagpur-Bilaspur, Goa-Mumbai and Nagpur-Secunderabad.