The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has rolled out the first set of swanky steel coaches for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) on Monday.
The first formation of one rake comprising four new stainless steel coaches are heading to Mettupalayam in Salem Division of Southern Railway by rail.
The coaches that are used in the NMR now are more than four decades old and have been refurbished time and again. For the first time, the ICF took up the task of designing and developing new age steel-bodied coaches for the NMR. In all, 15 coaches are planned to be manufactured by ICF. Of these, 12 coaches will make three rakes each comprising of one first class, two second class seater and one luggage-cum-passenger car formation. The remaining three coaches will be spare coaches.
Replacing the old small windows, these new coaches have large windows for a panoramic view of the valley and meter gauge bogies with rack-pinion arrangement in leading axle having a total seating capacity of 146.
The first class has 32 seats, two second class - 44 seats each, second class luggage van (SLR) - 26 seats with a separate space for persons with disabilities to place their wheel chairs and sit. The coaches also have LED lights for use when the train passes through tunnels, hand brakes for pinion and also for wheels, covered space for brake man in every coach, inter vehicle coupler for driver-guard-brake man communication in the form of a microphone-cum-speaker at each cabin.
The remaining 11 coaches will be rolled out in a phased manner.
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