Modern coaches to replace existing coaches in all long-distance trains soon

According to the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, all the long-distance trains shall be replaced with modern LHB coaches.

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New Delhi: The government will replace conventional coaches with modern LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) design coaches in all long-distance trains, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said in Rajya Sabha on Friday. He also assured the House that the government will implement "whatever announcements have been made with regard to introduction of more trains."

"A week ago, a review meeting was held in Guwahati, where it was decided that all long-distance trains shall be replaced with LHB modern coaches," Goyal said replying to a supplementary query during the Question Hour.

To another query on complaints that modern coaches already operational are being replaced in trains running from the Northeast, the minister said: "I can assure you that can never be the case." On unmanned railway crossings, the Minister said that the government has almost eliminated all such crossings. As a result, the number of accidents has come down to three in the last nine months from 50 a year ago.

With regard to compensation, the Minister said that wherever there is responsibility of Railways, the compensation is provided to the families of the deceased. Trespassers are not given compensation.