U Subba Rao, General Manager, ICF | Photocredit: Bijoy Ghosh
Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the most important passenger coach producing unit of the Indian Railways, has been working on producing Vande Bharat (VB) chairman coaches for the past two years. This year it will complete the full order of VB chair cars and establish its sights on VB Sleeper trains and new projects such as the VB Freight Train and High-Speed Trains, U Subba RAO, General Manager, ICF, said line In an exclusive chat. “In two years we hope that the prototype of the high -speed trains will be on the wheels,” he said.
Fragments:
With the VB chair car almost ready, does the focus now shift to the production of VB slapers?
We produced 23 VB-Hars (chairman cars) and all with a 20-car configuration. We have a balance of 11 from VB -rake that must be produced this year. With this we close the order VB (chair car). The focus will then move to the production of VB sleep trains. People have already been produced with a 16-car configuration. We have ordered 10 harke to produce. The other nine are expected this year. The shells of the nine rods are almost ready. However, due to small adjustments that have been noticed in the first rake, they are taken care of. All trains will be released in the next six months. Apart from that, we have received orders for 50 pegs of 24-auto configuration. We expect that the first rake (full AC) will be rolled out in October next year.
The tests on sleeping trains are still on?
The tests are completed at 180 km / h. The railway safety committee pointed to a few things and we answer are questions about problems such as safety and brakes. This formality will be completed in the next ten days.
What is the update about VB goods trains?
The freight train is almost ready. We expect that we will turn out to be the first rake between June and August. And maybe a few months later, the second rake. This year we have to roll out this year.
What is the role of ICF in high speed trains?
It is an order that we give to Beml for two trains with eight cars each. We have completed the propulsion suppliers and are the completion of sub-assemblies, the floors, material for car body and wheels. Against the mid -2027 we hope that the trains on the wheels will be ready.
ICF produced 3,007 coaches last year. When can we expect ICF to reach the all time of 4,000 coaches that were registered in 1920?
The production of 4,000 is certainly a big assignment for us to do. We actually driven a tender for 600 general coaches to be obtained from outside. This means that ICF will produce 4,200 coaches this year and even if there is a rental here and there, we will touch 4000 this year.
What about replacing the old coaches on the railways?
Railways has realized that LHB coaches are much safer compared to the old version of coaches. We were replaced if and when the old version coaches were old. This replacement is now being done at a faster pace. That is the reason that all three production units – ICF, MCF and RCF – have received very large goals this year and next year to produce coaches. The idea is that we will replace all old coaches in the next 2 to 3 years.
What is the disintegration for this year and next year for all three composite units?
Totally, it will be around 10,000 coaches for this year, and another 10,000 coaches for next year. ICF has been asked to produce 4,000 coaches, and the rest will be done by them.
Published on May 14, 2025
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