The Indian Army last week inducted customised coaches designed and developed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) here for military operations. The coaches built with facilities such as on-board power generator, reverse osmosis plants and bio-toilets will be part of exclusive military trains transporting defence personnel and equipment.
The Ministry of Defence had placed an order for 40 Two-Tier AC coaches and 32 Pantry Cars or Military Langars at a cost of Rs. 250 crore.
According to defence sources, Lt. Gen. Rakesh Kumar Sharma, Director-General (Operation Logistic & Strategic Movement) inspected the coaches at the ICF last week and expressed satisfaction over the quality and prompt delivery.
“This is the first time that we have procured custom-made coaches that suit our requirements. The 46-berth AC coaches have emergency evacuation facility in all windows and the two doors to the air conditioned portion can be operated both inward and outward. There are two RO plants in each coach.
The Military Langar has an on-board 75 KV generator, deep freezer and utensil washer.
The Periodic Overhauling of the coaches would be done by the railways.
“The coaches are the first of its kind in military operations. Keeping in mind the requirement of defence personnel, these coaches were specifically designed to enhance the comfort level of troops on the move,” the official said.
