Safer coaches for train to Punjab

Dhanbad: Travellers who frequently travel by rail to Punjab from here can expect a safer and smoother ride, thanks to the Indian Railways that has decided to replace the traditional Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches of the Ganga Sutej Express that chugs between the coal town and Firozpur Cantonment Junction with the superior Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB) bogies.

Railway authorities here said the train will make its debut journey with the 19 new coaches from Dhanbad station on April 25 at 9.20pm and reach Ludhiana on April 27 at 10.15am.

The daily train, that covers the 1603km between Dhanbad and Firozpur in 37 hours, is a favourite among workers from the state as well as those from neighbouring Bihar, who are employed in different factories of Ludhiana, Ferozpur Ambala and other cities of Punjab. Businessmen dealing in cotton and woollen garments and bicycles also bank on the train.

The LHB coaches have better suspension, quieter and cosier interiors, larger windows and are considered safer than the ICF waggons.

“We have replaced three of the four rakes and have sought more bogies to prepare the fourth,” Dhanbad senior divisional commercial manager Ashish Kumar Jha said and added that passengers can expect much comfortable and safer rides in the Ganga Sutel Express.

Courtesy: The Telegraph