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Monday, September 17, 2012

Rajdhani-like coaches for all trains

KAPURTHALA (PUNJAB)/ AMRITSAR: Stainless steel seems to be future for Indian railways desperately trying to increase the life span of its coaches and wagons and increase the general safety standards in its network.

In an ambitious move, the railways have decided to replace all its traditional blue coloured Express train ICF coaches with the new and popular stainless steel made LHB coaches that are now being used in only select trains that include Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and Durantos.

All the LHB coaches will be made of stainless steel, making the coaches lighter and with a life span ranging between 30-35 years instead of the usual 20-25 years. The target is to replace all rakes of running express trains to LHB by the end of 2016. In the beginning, the AC rakes are to be replaced.

The Rail Coach Factory (RCF) Kapurthala which is making such coaches has been instructed to also step up production of AC coaches in general keeping in view the ever increasing popularity in AC travel — one of the cheapest mode of air-conditioned travel around the world.

From a mere 16 per cent of total coaches produced a couple of years back, the AC coaches now constitute 36 per cent of the 1500 coaches produced annually by the RCF. According to B N Rajsekhar, general manager, RCF, they have also begun the production of non AC LHB coaches for the first time.

"A train in Punjab is already running on LHB normal sleeper coaches. We are now trying to gift Northern Railway LHB coaches on its busiest route — the Delhi-Patna-Dhanbad route. These coaches will begin running soon.

These trains can run at a maximum speed of 160 Km/ hr instead of the usual 120 Km/hr with top speed braking within 1.1 km. These can be upgraded easily with very small changes to run at a maximum speed of 200km/ hr,'' he said. 

Source:-The Economic Times

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