In a good news for train travellers, Indian Railway is planning to roll out nearly 500 Vande Bharat trains next year. The railways is also taking steps to enhance passenger safety by introducing “anti-injury” fittings in its coaches.
BG Malya, General Manager of Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai said that ICF is targeting about 500 to 550 Vande Bharat trains for the next year. Talking about the production targets of Vande Bharat trains, Malya revealed that for this year, it plans to manufacture a total 75 Vande trains, of which 63 are the 8-car versions and 12 are the 16-car versions.
In addition, it plans to make about 1,700 LHB coaches and 700 Vande Bharat Coaches. “We have a target of 750 EMU type of coaches and about 100 special coaches. Okay. So the total count comes to 3,250. This is the type of production we are hoping we will be able to sustain,” Malya told in an interview.
Apart from this, the railways is also working hard to reduce the possibilities of injuries in the event of rail accidents. It is planning to introduce “anti-injury” fittings in its coaches.The objective is to prevent injuries caused by sharp edges or protection within the coaches during unforeseen incidents or sudden braking.
Currently, fittings such as metal coat hangers and rough-edged luggage racks pose a risk of harm to passengers. To address this concern, the Railway Board has instructed all coach manufacturing units to consider this requirement when procuring equipment for future coaches.
This directive from the Railway Board is a response to the recent major railway accidents that have resulted in significant loss of life. The aim is to minimize the severity of injuries in the event of accidents or sudden braking.
Additionally, Indian Railways is planning to replace ICF-design coaches with Linke Hoffmann Busch (LHB) coaches, which are of German design and feature anti-climbing measures to prevent coaches from piling up in the event of derailment.