To increase passenger safety, railways to induct 4,016 LHB coaches this fiscal

In a bid to enhance passenger safety, the railways is set to induct 4,016 Linke-Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches with anti-collision technology, which causes less fatalities, instead of the current Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coaches during the current fiscal, according to official data.

The figure is around 84 per cent higher than the 2,480 coaches the railways had produced in 2017-18.

In 2017-2018, the ICF in Chennai, the Rail Coach Factory in Punjab and the Modern Coach Factory in Uttar Pradesh -- the rail coach manufacturing units of the Indian Railways -- had together produced 2,480 LHB coaches and in 2016-2017, the number was 1,469.

The new generation LHB coaches, which are superior in quality and provide a better ride comfort, are slightly longer than the conventional ICF-designed coaches. The LHB coaches have more safety features and lesser corrosion and maintenance requirements as compared to the ICF-designed coaches.

"We have really ramped up the production of such coaches. From producing 560 LHB coaches in the three units in 2012-2013, we have raised it to 2,480 in 2017-18. This fiscal, we are hopeful that the ICF alone will make 3,000 such coaches," a senior Railway Ministry official said.

During the initial days of the LHB coaches, between 2004 and 2014, 2,319 such coaches were made, while the number increased to 5,503 between 2014 and 2017, according to official data.

This year, when the units have completely switched to LHB coaches, till October they have manufactured 2,323 such coaches.