Source: https://www.etnownews.com/infrastructure/indian-railways-big-milestone-in-fy24-icf-creates-history-over-2800-coaches-including-vande-bharat-amrit-bharat-expressmanufactured-article-108938203
Publisher: ET Now News
Indian Railways latest update: Indian Railways is working in full swing to modernize its existing infrastructure and develop a new one. The national transporter has also upgraded the coaches and thus successfully rolled out new trains such as Amrit Bharat Express and Vande Bharat Express trains. Currently, both trainsets are being manufactured by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF).
Earlier, the Ministry of Railways decided to ramp up the production of these new-age trains at its factories located in Nasik and Rae Bareli. For this, the work is going on and the manufacturing is expected to start soon. The national transporter has planned to introduce over 400 Vande Bharat Express trains in the next few years over its network.
ICF Achieves Major Milestone
The Chennai-based factory has touched another milestone as it performed better than the previous production year. In FY2023-24, Integral Coach Factory has turned out 2,829 coaches as compared to 2702 coaches rolled out the previous production year. This year’s outturn of ICF marks the highest number of DPRS coaches viz. 1091.
What are DPRS coaches?
DPRS coaches stand for Distributed Power Rolling Stock coaches. It includes Vande Bharat, EMU, MEMU, etc. Earlier, the highest production of DPRS coaches was 996 in the production year 2018-19.
Production of Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) Coaches
ICF manufactured 1738 Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches in the previous fiscal year. “It is pertinent to mention here that the man hours needed for the production of DPRS coaches is comparatively much higher than that is required for the production of normal LHB coaches,” ICF said in a statement.
Other Highlights of FY2023-24 production by ICF, Chennai
- Vande Bharat Express: Highest number of 51 Vande Bharat rakes production by ICF. Of these 45 rakes are 8 car rakes and 6 rakes are 16 car rakes. During the previous year, 12 rakes of Vande Bharat trains were manufactured by ICF.
- Amrit Bharat Express: 2 rakes of 22 coaches each for Amrit Bharat Express which provides better facilities for long-distance passengers in unreserved coaches as well, such as folding snack tables, mobile holders, cushioned luggage rakes, charging points, etc.
- Inspection Cars: The highest number of 19 Self-propelled Inspection Cars for safety inspections in the Zonal railways.
- Oscillograph Monitoring Car: The first Oscillograph Monitoring Car for RDSO, Lucknow, will help Indian Railways to validate the quality of journey for passengers in new coaches.
