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Now, Indian Railways To Offer Baths, Valet And AC Room For Passengers For Ultimate Luxury.

The Indian Railways has upped its game in terms of catering to its passengers. In a recent development, a first privately-occupied saloon coach, complete with air-conditioned rooms, valet service and attached bathroom, on Friday started its journey with six customers of a private tour operating company as the Jammu Mail pulled out of the Old Delhi Railway Station.

According to a recent report by PTI, a six VIP customers will be the first passengers to experience the grandeur of travelling in a saloon car, after the facility, which till now was primarily reserved for railway officials to reach places not connected by road or air, was opened to the public. These saloons are available for charter for the common people and the details are available on the IRCTC website.

The IRCTC has said that this is the first charter service booked by M/s Royal India Train Journeys for its six premium customers for a saloon travelling from Delhi to Jammu. The cost of chartering this saloon coach is around Rs 2 lakh, the IRCTC said. The Railways has a total of 336 saloon cars across railway zones, among them 62 are air-conditioned.

The saloon has a living room, two air-conditioned bedrooms - one twin bedroom and the other similar to an AC First Class coupe with attached baths, dining area and a well-equipped kitchen. It will also have a valet service, which will be chargeable in the future.

"This will be an all-inclusive tour where the guests will be offered all the comfort of a hotel. Exclusive staff will be available for services on board. Railway also provides one AC attendant and one saloon attendant for ensuring hassle-free travel," the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) said.

The four-day tour started today and the saloon will be back on April 2. It was attached to the Jammu Mail at the Old Delhi Railway Station for onward journey to Katra.

At 55-km, this is the world’s longest sea bridge

The bridge, which connects Hong Kong and Macau with mainland China, is six lanes wide and was reportedly built using more steel than as many as 60 Eiffel Towers.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is seen, in Zhuhai city, south China’s Guangdong province, Wednesday, March 28, 2018. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the world’s longest cross-sea project, which has a total length of 55 kilometers. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

China is ready to inaugurate the longest sea bridge in the world this year. The bridge, which connects Hong Kong and Macau with mainland China, is 55 km long and six lanes wide. The project is aimed at bringing these three places closer by reducing the journey time to just about an hour long.

Reportedly built using more steel than as many as 60 Eiffel Towers, the multi-billion dollar project has been touted as the result of an international collaboration. This concrete monster also boasts of four tunnels and four artificial islands. “We have included a lot of foreign experts from the UK, US, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, and the Netherlands,” Gao Xinglin, Bridge team leader, told news organisation Al Jazeera, adding, “They are from around 14 countries.”

The bridge, however, has drawn criticism for over-spending and being responsible for some deadly accidents. But Chinese authorities have applauded the completed project, inviting foreign media this week to cover the bridge. The official inauguration date, however, has not been announced.

“We hope that friends from the press can take this opportunity to see the new accomplishment of China in the new era and fresh progress of the ‘one country, two systems'”, Song Ruan, deputy commissioner at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was quoted by Al Jazeera.

Previously under British rule, Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” accord. This granted the region a separate legal system and its own legislative council. However, Beijing still has the last word. Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong allege that China is increasingly coming down on the city’s enshrined freedoms granted by the constitution.

Authorities are expecting close to 40,000 vehicles to cross the bridge on a daily basis, which will include shuttle buses running 10 minutes apart.

This bridge is one of two major infrastructure projects set to open in the region this year — the other is a high-speed rail link to China.