Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet trains to have sick-bays, separate washrooms

The high-speed trains will feature 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. It 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 Shinkansen series bullet trains from Japan at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore for the first bullet train project. 

The 731-seater E5 series Shinkansen 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 rest rooms and toilets for men and women while introducing wall-mounted 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 Rs 1 lakh crore bullet train project.

However, urinals and toilets will 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 class, there will be standard-class passenger coaches. While the train will have 698 seats for standard class, 55 seats will be earmarked for business class. 

The bullet train will take about 2 hours 7 minutes to travel the 508-km distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.