Vande Bharat Executive Class May Lose Rotating Seats. Here's Why
Executive Class coaches of Vande Bharat Chair Car trains currently feature 180-degree rotating and reclining seats.
The Railway Board is considering a proposal to remove the 180-degree seat rotation feature from the Executive Class coaches of Vande Bharat trains and replace it with fixed seats, according to senior railway officials. The proposal was discussed at a recent meeting of Principal Chief Mechanical Engineers (PCMEs), where coach production units suggested that eliminating the rotating mechanism could make the seats more robust and reduce maintenance requirements.
The move could also create additional space inside the coaches. With fixed seats requiring less room than rotating ones, railway engineers have suggested reducing the distance between rows and potentially accommodating one more row of seats in each Executive Class coach.
The minutes of the conference, compiled by the Railway Board, said the rotating mechanism in Vande Bharat Executive Class coaches could be removed to make the seats sturdier. The Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer of Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, has been tasked with initiating action on the proposal.
Why Railways Wants To Remove Rotating Mechanism
Executive Class coaches of Vande Bharat Chair Car trains currently feature 180-degree rotating and reclining seats. The arrangement allows passengers to change the direction of their seats depending on the train’s movement and their preference, including facing the window or the direction of travel.
However, railway officials said the rotation system involves additional mechanical parts, clearances and space around each seat. These components can be susceptible to wear, becoming loose or developing faults, thereby increasing maintenance requirements.
A senior railway official described the arrangement as a complex mechanism and said removing the rotation feature could allow the seats to be built with a more rigid structure.
Experts said fixed seats could offer two potential benefits -- improved durability and greater passenger capacity.
Additional row could boost revenue
With the space required for seat rotation eliminated, the distance between rows could potentially be reduced enough to accommodate an additional row of seats in an Executive Class coach.
Railway officials said even a single additional row in each Executive Class coach could have a significant impact on revenue when the increase is considered across multiple coaches and trainsets.
The proposal, however, is still at an early stage and would represent a notable change in the design philosophy of Vande Bharat’s Executive Class.
The suggested modification indicates a possible shift in priority from premium features such as flexible seating towards greater durability, easier maintenance and increased seating capacity.
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