ICF Chennai produces record 2,829 coaches in the fiscal year 2023-24

Chennai, India (Urban Transport News): Indian Railways has achieved a significant milestone in the fiscal year 2023-24, with the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai setting a new record in coach manufacturing. During this period, ICF produced a total of 2,829 coaches, surpassing the previous year's production of 2,702 coaches. This remarkable achievement includes the highest number of DPRS (Distributed Power Rolling Stock) coaches ever produced in a single year, totaling 1,091 coaches.

DPRS coaches encompass various types such as Vande Bharat, EMU, and MEMU. Previously, the highest production of DPRS coaches was 996 in the production year 2018-19.

Additionally, ICF manufactured 1,738 Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches in the previous fiscal year. It's worth noting that the production of DPRS coaches requires significantly more man-hours compared to the production of normal LHB coaches, as mentioned by ICF in a statement.

Other noteworthy highlights of ICF's production in FY2023-24 include:

• Vande Bharat Express: ICF produced the highest number of 51 Vande Bharat rakes, comprising 45 8-car rakes and 6 16-car rakes. This is a substantial increase from the previous year when only 12 rakes of Vande Bharat trains were manufactured by ICF.

• Amrit Bharat Express: ICF manufactured 2 rakes consisting of 22 coaches each for Amrit Bharat Express. These trains offer enhanced facilities for long-distance passengers, including folding snack tables, mobile holders, cushioned luggage racks, and charging points in unreserved coaches.

• Inspection Cars: ICF produced the highest number of 19 Self-propelled Inspection Cars, crucial for safety inspections across Zonal railways.

• Oscillograph Monitoring Car: The first Oscillograph Monitoring Car for RDSO, Lucknow, was manufactured by ICF. This car will aid Indian Railways in validating the quality of passenger journeys in new coaches.

These achievements highlight Indian Railways' commitment to modernizing its infrastructure and enhancing passenger experience through the production of advanced and innovative train coaches.