Many discussions were made regarding "ICF vs LHB Coaches" already.
Now time has come to publish the decision of Railway Board what they think about the replacement of "Old battered ICF Coaches" which are about to expire in the coming years.
All ICF and LHB Fans are humbly requested to go through the following two reports in detail published in the "Times Of India" and "The Hindu" respectively by the Integral Coach factory Chennai.
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Report:(published in the "Times Of India" on 16.08.14)
Title: ICF to produce 1,710 coaches in FY 2014-15
V Ayyappan, TNN | Aug 15, 2014, 12.07PM IST
CHENNAI: The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai plans to manufacture 1,710 coaches this fiscal year after achieving highest ever production of 1,622 last year, said Ashok K Agarwal, general manager, ICF, on Friday.
Speaking after hoisting the national flag to mark the 68th Independence Day celebrations at the factory, he said: "In the first four months of the current production year, the ICF manufactured 521 coaches, which is 35% higher than that in the corresponding period of last year. In fact, the ICF achieved the highest ever production in all the four months of the current fiscal year."
He further mentioned that in the coming days, keeping pace with the new technology, it would manufacture more and more self-propelled coaches with energy efficient 3-phase propulsion system.
"Almost all of these coaches will be of stainless steel design in line with railway board's directive to switch over to 100% stainless steel coaches. With the completion of the Linke Hoffman Busch (LHB) unit, with an installed capacity of 300 coaches per annum, which is in the final stages of construction, the ICF is planning to manufacture 300 LHB coaches in the year 2015-16."
He said that the ICF was continuously striving to improve quality of its products and was taking lot of initiatives in this regard. It had organized customer interaction meets with field-level officers and supervisors of various zonal railways.
"The information and feedback received in these meets will be utilized to carry out better design modifications for providing better facilities for passengers," he added.
The ICF has manufactured more than 48,000 coaches since its inception in 1952.
The factory has achieved yet another milestone by turning out the 50,000th shell since its inception.
It has won the prestigious International 'The Global Green Award' 2014 for its outstanding environmental achievements, sustainable practices and green energy initiatives.
The award, given by the "OMAC" Paris, is the first international recognition received by the ICF.
As part of the Independence Day celebrations, Railway Protection Force contingents presented a colourful march past and guard of honour to the general manager.
2nd Report:(published in "The Hindu" on May 30, 2014)
Title: ICF to make more German-tech coaches
Safer, more comfortable LHB coaches will be introduced for more trains soon
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.
The coaches cost about Rs. 1.5 crore each but they have a longer lifespan and reduced ‘per-kilometre cost’.
Now all of you are requested to cast your "Valuable Opinion".
Attached Pic:
A SECOND CLASS LHB COACH PRODUCED BY ICF CHENNAI