Indian Railways Plans to Complete Remaining ICF Coach Conversion by FY28

Indian Railways is expected to finish converting the remaining ICF coaches used on regular mail and express trains into LHB coaches by FY28, as per a Business Standard news report. About 340-350 rakes are still pending from nearly 2,000 rakes identified for conversion. 

Since 2021, around 950 rakes have been converted, with each rake generally having 24 coaches. Overall, more than 1,600 coaches have been converted to LHB coaches since the programme started. 

Work Planned Through FY28 

Railways expects another 170-180 coaches to be converted during the remainder of FY27 and in FY28. The conversion programme follows the decision to move passenger train production away from ICF coaches. 

The Railway Board is also to issue guidelines for quicker scrapping of corroded ICF and hybrid coaches. Corrosion remains an issue for both ICF and LHB coaches, and the ministry is addressing the condition of older coaches. 

Amrit Bharat Production 

Once the conversion work is completed, Railways will stop manufacturing loose LHB coaches for mail and express services. New production will move towards Amrit Bharat trains, which use LHB coaches in a push-pull arrangement. 

The trains use two locomotives, positioned at opposite ends of the rake. This arrangement reduces jerks while starting and helps the train pick up speed. Amrit Bharat LHB coaches also use semi-permanent, semi-rigid draft couplers. 

LHB Coaches in India 

India began its shift towards LHB coaches in 1996 after signing a technology transfer agreement and importing the coaches. Manufacturing facilities were later developed within the country. 

ICF coach production stopped in 2018. The change followed concerns over the behaviour of ICF coaches during accidents, including telescoping, where coaches can move into one another during a collision. 

ICF Rakes to Remain 

The conversion will not remove all ICF rakes from service immediately. Some will continue to be used for special trains, trains operated on demand, and departmental services. 

The first push-pull train was introduced in 2019, while the format has since been incorporated into Amrit Bharat trains. Railways has also asked production units to include push-pull wiring in LHB coaches manufactured going forward. 

Read More: ADB Revises India Growth Outlook; FY27 Forecast at 7%, FY28 at 7.1%! 

Conclusion 

The remaining ICF-to-LHB conversion is expected to be completed by FY28. After that, mail and express train production will shift towards Amrit Bharat push-pull trainsets. 

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