Overview
- Senior engineers raised the idea in Railway Board-compiled minutes from a recent Principal Chief Mechanical Engineers conference, proposing that the 180-degree rotating feature be eliminated from Vande Bharat executive-class seats to make them sturdier.
- Officials say the rotation system uses extra mechanical parts and clearances that create wear, looseness and more frequent repairs, increasing maintenance time and complexity.
- Engineers told the conference that fixed seats would allow a reduced row pitch and could add roughly one extra row per executive coach, which multiplied across many trainsets could raise passenger capacity and revenue.
- The conference assigned the Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, to initiate study and action on the suggestion, and no final decision or implementation plan has been announced.
- If approved, the change would require design and production revisions at coach factories including ICF Chennai and Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala and could alter the advertised premium layout and passenger experience in future Vande Bharat sets.