New Delhi: The Indian Railways has unveiled a groundbreaking design for its AC 1st class coaches, introducing a novel concept that aims to provide the comfort and privacy of a business class aircraft cabin. Developed by the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala, this visionary “interiors on demand” concept has now been presented to the Railway Board for consideration.

Traditionally, the first-class AC coach layout in Indian Railways featured berths on one side and an aisle on the other. RCF’s innovative redesign relocates the aisle to the center of the coach to create compact coupe-style cabins, each accommodating two berths with panoramic windows for both upper and lower berths. This redesign increases the coach’s capacity from 24 berths to 30.

Arun Kumar Jain, General Manager of RCF Kapurthala, elaborated on the concept to TOI, stating, “Normally, we have an aisle on one side with cabins on the other side, and the seats are arranged in the cabins. In this coach, we have attempted a design where the aisle is positioned in the center. Cabins are placed on both sides to provide a scenic window view to more passengers. Windows are provided on both sides for the passengers.”

He further explained, “As depicted in the concept, two passengers can comfortably occupy the AC 1st coupe or cubicle during the daytime. At night, the seats can be transformed into berths, with one person sleeping on the lower berth and the other on the upper. Given the high demand for cabins accommodating two passengers, we believe that this design will be a popular choice.”

This innovative AC 1st class coach concept mirrors the luxury and comfort associated with business class air travel. Passengers seeking premium services may anticipate an enhanced and revamped AC 1st coach in the future, tailored to meet their demands and preferences.