The Rail Coach Factory based in Kapurthala has won an order to provide 693 Linke Hoffman Busch (LHB) coaches from Indian Railways.
The new coaches are safer and more comfortable than coaches currently under operation on Indian Railways’ network.
“LHB coaches offer better safety and do not overturn in case of a head-on collision,” a railway official said.
Minister of State for Railways, K. H. Muniyappa said:
“To improve upon the standards of safety, LHB design coaches are being manufactured having Centre Buffer Coupler, stronger bogie-body connection and intra-bogie connection.”
Previously these coaches were used only in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains, an official from the coach factory said.
The LHB coaches have superior features compared to conventional ones. They are more durable, have better safety standards, about 10-12 per cent more carrying capacity, high speed potential, superior riding comfort, aesthetic interiors and lower maintenance.
In the last financial year, RCF manufactured more than 300 LHB coaches, but before the last financial year, in the last three year period, it rolled out only 100 LHB coaches, due to less orders from railways.
According to an estimate, it cost around $300,000 to $370,000 per coach, which is more than the conventional coach, but the safety features, durability is more than what ICF coach offers.
Indian Railways currently operates 60,000 coaches, which it is planning gradually to replace with the new LHB coaches.
