Conventional rakes to make way for LHB coaches in Mannargudi-Bhagat Ki Kothi express

Railway Board allocates ICF to manufacture LHB coaches for Mannargudi-Bhagat Ki Kothi express. It will join Tiruchi's other inter-state trains running with LHB coaches, offering better safety, comfort and riding index. Maintenance of Tiruchi-Howrah, Mannargudi-Bhagat Ki Kothi and Tiruchi-Shri Ganganagar Humsafar express done at Tiruchi and Bikaner Divisions respectively. Chennai Egmore-Tiruchi-Chennai Egmore Rockfort, Cholan and Pandyan express also run with LHB coaches.

The Mannargudi - Bhagat Ki Kothi express has been identified as one among the long distance trains for replacement of conventional rakes with Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches which are equipped with better safety features, passenger comfort and riding index.  

The Railway Board, New Delhi has made an allotment to the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Chennai to manufacture LHB rake for the inter-state Mannargudi - Bhagat Ki Kothi weekly train. It will become another inter-state train in Tiruchi Division to be operated with LHB coaches by replacing the conventional rake. The weekly Tiruchi - Howrah superfast express, the weekly Tiruchi - Shri Ganganagar and the weekly Tiruchi - Bhagat Ki Kothi Humsafar express trains are run with LHB coaches at present. 

Railway sources said the allotment for the manufacture of 22 LHB coaches was made recently to the ICF for deployment in the Mannagurdi - Bhagat Ki Kothi express. Besides ICF, LHB coaches are also being manufactured at the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala in Punjab and at the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. 

The Mannargudi - Bhagat Ki Kothi train is expected to run with brand new LHB coaches in the next financial year, said the sources. 

The LHB coaches are slightly longer and have higher carrying capacity than ICF designed conventional coaches. Low corrosion, aesthetically superior interiors and low maintenance are among the slew of features of LHB coaches, the sources said. Further, fire retardant materials for furnishing are used in the manufacture of LHB coaches thereby offering better passenger safety. 

The Tiruchi - Howrah express began to run with LHB coaches from August 2022. The new coaches were manufactured at the ICF. A senior railway official said the primary maintenance of the Tiruchi - Howrah and Mannargudi - Bhagat Ki Kothi expresses are being done at the Broad Gauge Coaching Depot located near the Tiruchi Railway Junction. The primary maintenance of the Tiruchi -Shri Ganganagar Humsafar express is, however, done at Bikaner Division in North Western Railway. 

The Chennai Egmore - Tiruchi - Chennai Egmore Rockfort, Chennai Egmore- Tiruchi - Chennai Egmore Cholan and Chennai Egmore - Madurai - Chennai Egmore Pandyan express trains are also being operated with LHB coaches. The primary maintenance of these trains are done by the Madurai Railway Division.