Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) design coaches are lighter in weight, have higher carrying capacity, higher speed potential, increased codal life and better safety features as compared to Integral Coach Factory (ICF) design coaches.
The passenger coaches plying over Indian Railways (IR) have been designed with the necessary safety features considering the operating conditions over IR. However, with a view to providing safer and more comfortable journey to passengers, it has been decided to replace conventional ICF design coaches of Mail/Express trains with LHB design coaches in a phased manner. It has also been decided that only LHB coaches would be manufactured by Production Units of IR from April 2018 onwards.
Safety is accorded the highest priority by IR and all possible steps are undertaken on a continual basis to prevent accidents and to enhance safety. These include timely replacement of over-aged assets, adoption of suitable technologies for upgradation and maintenance of track, rolling stock, signaling and interlocking systems, safety drives, greater emphasis on training of officials and safety inspections at regular intervals to monitor and educate staff for observance of safe practices.
As announced by Minister of Finance in his Budget Speech for 2017-18, a Fund namely ‘Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK)’ has been created with a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore to be utilized over a period of five years for replacement, renewal and upgradation of critical safety assets. A provision of ₹20,000 crore has been made in 2018-19 out of ‘RRSK’ to fund essential works for ensuring safety.
This information was given by the Minister of State of Railways, Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
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