Highest ever Production of 1480 coaches by
Rail coach factory during Fiscal 2007-08
Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, a production unit under the Ministry of Railways, achieved a record production of 1480 coaches during 2007-08 which is the highest ever production by RCF in any year. During the year RCF produced 34 types of coaches, which included 96 Stainless Steel coaches for Rajdhani trains, 133 coaches for 8 newly introduced Garib Rath trains, 16 Coaches for Science Express. A prestigious export order of 24 MG Coaches for Senegal Railway was also executed during the year.
RCF has so far manufactured 19438 coaches, since its inception in 1987, which is almost 50 per cent of the coaching fleet of Indian Railways. In view of growing demand, it has set an even higher target to manufacture 1550 coaches during the year 2008-09.
In order to improve the safety of passengers, crashworthy features have been introduced in the coaches, which are capable of absorbing high impact energy in non-passenger area of a coach at its ends, while keeping the middle passenger portion safe, in an accident. RCF produced 108 such coaches during 2007-08.
The stainless steel coaches being produced by RCF are based on German technology and have inherent design features like, superior aesthetics, much better ride quality and low maintenance cost. Due to cost limitations, these coaches were so far introduced only in the high end trains like Shatabdi and Rajdhani Expresses. In order to introduce these superior features on other mail/express trains, has developed in-house an innovative low cost variant of the stainless steel coach, cutting the cost by about 40 per cent of the German design stainless steel coach. The trials of this prototype have been completed successfully and now it has been planned to manufacture 100 such coaches besides 150 original German Design stainless steel coaches during 2008-09. There are also plans to switch over the entire production to this type of coaches in the near future. This low cost variant shall have exteriors similar to Rajdhani train and the bogies of these coaches shall be provided with air spring suspension for better ride quality. These coaches shall have added advantage of approx. 10 per cent enhanced sitting capacity.
RCF is enhancing its coach manufacturing capacity to meet the ever growing demand for which various expansion works like setting up of wheel assembly shop at a cost of Rs. 68 crore, expansion of existing shell and furnishing shop and new paint shop at a cost of Rs. 55 crore approx. In order to augment the design capabilities, RCF is also setting up a “Centre for Excellence in Design” with an investment of Rs. 10 crore. These projects are likely to be completed in the current financial year.
AKS/HK/LK/
(Release ID :37331)