NEW DELHI: Railways is planning to switch over from indigenous ICF coaches to German technology-based Linke Holfmann Bush (LHB) ones in all mail and express trains within the next five years.
The LHB coaches, which have fire-retardant quality and advanced couplers, are designed to minimize fire accidents. The move is aimed at infusing more safety measures in train operations, with railways expected to enhance production capacity of its coach factories to 2,000 LHB coaches in 2014-15 and another 4,000 in 2016-17.
The modern coaches that are made of stainless steel have more in-built safety features, and can absorb shock and impact of derailment more effectively.
A senior rail official said, "The sturdy and robust design obviates capsizing of coaches in case of accidents. This helps to minimize damage and reduce the loss of lives." The casualties in the recent Kalka derailment could have been much less if the train was running on LHB coaches, he added.
The state-transporter is planning to introduce LHB coaches in mail and express trains in a phased manner by 2016-17 as these bogies are equipped with fire- retardant material and advanced couplers.
Unlike indigenous ICF coaches, which are prone to capsize or climb on each other during a collision or derailment, the LHB bogies don't get toppled due to its modern design.
Apart from restricting the speed limit to 105 kmph on mail line and 110 kmph on Rajdhani tracks, which limits the line utilization capacity, ICF coaches raise safety concerns due to a large number of hanging under-gear parts.
Though a traditional coach costs Rs 1.5 crore each against a LHB one that comes for Rs 2.5 crore-Rs 3 crore, the latter has several advantages. The modern coaches are more comfortable, have a higher life-span of 35 years against ICF's 25 years, and also have a 12%-15% higher passenger capacity that can raise revenue.
The LHB coaches, manufactured under technology-transfer from Germany, have automatic couplers to join two coaches and superior disc brakes. About 500 LHB coaches are expected to be manufactured in 2011-12 in railways' coach factories, and to be used mostly for elite trains like Duranto, Rajdhani and Shatabdi.
"We're expected to completely switch over to LHB coaches by 2016-17, with a total production capacity of 4,000 modern coaches," said an official.
With about 50-70 new trains introduced every year, there is a growing demand for LHB coaches annually. Kapurthala Rail Coach Factory and Integrated Coach Factory (ICF), with a total production capacity of 500 coaches, have failed to cater to the need.
The recent derailment of Guwahati-Rajdhani and Bhubaneswar-Rajdhani trains did not result in a single injury as these trains were running on LHB coaches.
A major incident was also averted in the Mumbai-Rajdhani Express, fitted with LHB coaches, which prevented the spread of fire to other coaches after it broke out in the pantry car.
Within minutes after the fire started in the pantry, the railway staff uncoupled the three passenger coaches from the pantry, and the fire-retardant material used in the coaches ensured that there were no toxic fumes and black smoke that could have hindered visibility.
Unlike ICF coaches, where one needs to go inside a coach and move through vestibule to uncouple two coaches, these advanced couplers can be very easily uncoupled from outside.
(Mahendra Kumar Singh, TNN | Jul 24, 2011)
The LHB coaches, which have fire-retardant quality and advanced couplers, are designed to minimize fire accidents. The move is aimed at infusing more safety measures in train operations, with railways expected to enhance production capacity of its coach factories to 2,000 LHB coaches in 2014-15 and another 4,000 in 2016-17.
The modern coaches that are made of stainless steel have more in-built safety features, and can absorb shock and impact of derailment more effectively.
A senior rail official said, "The sturdy and robust design obviates capsizing of coaches in case of accidents. This helps to minimize damage and reduce the loss of lives." The casualties in the recent Kalka derailment could have been much less if the train was running on LHB coaches, he added.
The state-transporter is planning to introduce LHB coaches in mail and express trains in a phased manner by 2016-17 as these bogies are equipped with fire- retardant material and advanced couplers.
Unlike indigenous ICF coaches, which are prone to capsize or climb on each other during a collision or derailment, the LHB bogies don't get toppled due to its modern design.
Apart from restricting the speed limit to 105 kmph on mail line and 110 kmph on Rajdhani tracks, which limits the line utilization capacity, ICF coaches raise safety concerns due to a large number of hanging under-gear parts.
Though a traditional coach costs Rs 1.5 crore each against a LHB one that comes for Rs 2.5 crore-Rs 3 crore, the latter has several advantages. The modern coaches are more comfortable, have a higher life-span of 35 years against ICF's 25 years, and also have a 12%-15% higher passenger capacity that can raise revenue.
The LHB coaches, manufactured under technology-transfer from Germany, have automatic couplers to join two coaches and superior disc brakes. About 500 LHB coaches are expected to be manufactured in 2011-12 in railways' coach factories, and to be used mostly for elite trains like Duranto, Rajdhani and Shatabdi.
"We're expected to completely switch over to LHB coaches by 2016-17, with a total production capacity of 4,000 modern coaches," said an official.
With about 50-70 new trains introduced every year, there is a growing demand for LHB coaches annually. Kapurthala Rail Coach Factory and Integrated Coach Factory (ICF), with a total production capacity of 500 coaches, have failed to cater to the need.
The recent derailment of Guwahati-Rajdhani and Bhubaneswar-Rajdhani trains did not result in a single injury as these trains were running on LHB coaches.
A major incident was also averted in the Mumbai-Rajdhani Express, fitted with LHB coaches, which prevented the spread of fire to other coaches after it broke out in the pantry car.
Within minutes after the fire started in the pantry, the railway staff uncoupled the three passenger coaches from the pantry, and the fire-retardant material used in the coaches ensured that there were no toxic fumes and black smoke that could have hindered visibility.
Unlike ICF coaches, where one needs to go inside a coach and move through vestibule to uncouple two coaches, these advanced couplers can be very easily uncoupled from outside.
(Mahendra Kumar Singh, TNN | Jul 24, 2011)
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