Production of Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches, manufactured with German assistance, will increase at Integral Coach Factory in Perambur, in the coming years.
The coaches are used on the double-decker express train between Chennai and Bangalore, and in the future, they will be seen in other long-distance trains too.
Last financial year, the 59-year-old factory rolled out 25 coaches. ICF has set a target of 100 LHB coaches for the current financial year and 300 for 2015-16.
Official sources at ICF said the technology transfer from Germany to India was made more than a decade ago, and initially, only airconditioned coaches were manufactured at Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, for high-speed express trains, mostly the Shatabdi.
With Indian Railways’ engineers mastering the technology, it was decided to use the same technology for designing and fabricating second-class coaches as well.
Officials said the manufacture of LHB coaches began at ICF last year and the first batch was rolled out in January. Despite the much higher cost of manufacturing LHB coaches, they have plenty of advantages, the most important one being safety.
Officials said LHB coaches, unlike conventional ones, would not pile up over other coaches in the event of an accident because of the ‘anti-climbing technology’ embedded in the coach links.
The ‘pneumatic braking system’ was advanced making it possible to bring them to a halt quickly, even at high speeds.
The combination of stainless steel body and aluminium interiors makes the coaches much lighter, making it possible to attain speeds in excess of 150 kilometres per hour. Further, the coaches have a lifespan of 35 years, 10 more than the conventional coaches. Though they are very expensive, costing approximately Rs. 1.5 crore each, officials said there would be long-term benefits as the ‘per-kilometre cost’ would come down significantly.
Second-class LHB coaches are 23.54 metres long (2.2 metres more than the conventional coaches), have additional width and 80 berths.
With a thrust on manufacturing LHB coaches, a sum in excess of Rs. 150 crore has been allotted to the furnishing unit at ICF, part of a major expansion plan.
With plans to create Tambaram as the third terminal after Chennai Central and Egmore, and introduce new trains to the southern districts, commuters can look forward to a quicker, safer and more comfortable journey.
