In a bid to boost the premium image of the Vande Bharat Express — dubbed India's fastest train — the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has announced a trial project, where 34 trained air hostesses and flight stewards would serve on board the train for a period of six months.
Speaking to IANS, IRCTC Managing Director M.P. Mall said, "We have hired 34 air hostesses and flight stewards from the Air Borne Air Hostess Academy in Delhi to provide flight-like hospitality services on board the Vande Bharat Express."
The project has been underway for over a month so far.
IRCTC spokesperson Siddharth Singh said that the hostesses would be paid up to Rs.25,000 per month, more than double what is normally paid to those who serve food onboard the trains on behalf of licensed caterers.
The Vande Bharat Express, also known as Train 18, runs between Delhi and Varanasi with stops in Kanpur and Allahabad. It has a top speed of 180 kmph, though it is capped at 130kmph due to the tracks not yet supporting higher speeds
The train is positioned as a luxury train. It seats 1,128 passengers, with 16 air-conditioned coaches on offer. The coaches feature automatic doors, a GPS-enabled passenger information system, WiFi and bio-vacuum toilets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the train on February 16. The Vande Bharat Express suffered a snag the next day, forcing its top speed to be limited to 40kmph until repairs could be performed.
