Today we will discuss in the post about this amazing fact that why ICF rakes are used in EMU,DMU and MEMU trains instead of LHB rakes which are more safe for the Indian Railways.
Before knowing that why EMU,DMU trains used ICF rakes instead of LHB rakes we need to know what is ICF and LHB rakes.ICF whose full name is Integral Coach Factory which is a manufacturing unit of Indian Railways were rolling stock that is Coaches of trains are made.
DMU,MEMU or Blue ICF Coaches are manufactured in the integral coach factory that is why they are denoted as ICF.Integral Coach Factory is from the older times were the manufacturing of old coaches was done like blue ICF coaches but from as time changes the things also change.
And Indian Railways adapted the technology of Manufacturing Unit of Germany’s Company Linke Hofmann Busch.From that time in Integral Coach Factory Kapoorthala,Integral Coach Factory Chennai and Modern Coach Factory Raibareilly LHB rakes coaches were manufactured and old ICF coach manufacturing was stopped.
Now Lets know what are features of this new LHB coaches is different from the old ICF coaches which were manufactured before.LHB Coaches exterior is made out of stainless steel and interior is made of aluminium which makes the coach light and stronger.Whereas the ICF coaches were made of mild steel which made the heavier to be pulled by the Locomotives.
Moreover LHB coaches suspension and bogie was different from the ICF coaches which made the LHB coaches to run at a speed of 180 kilometres per hour whereas the ICF coaches can run only at a speed of 120 kilometres per hour.Another major feature of these LHB coaches was that Centre Buffer Coupling is used which makes it to be safe when accident occurs because these coaches doesnt overlap each other in case of an accident.And in ICF coaches spring coupling is used which is not safe and in case of accidentthey overlap each other.
Now lets come to the point that EMU,DEMU,MEMU trains are manufactured in ICF amd these coaches use ICF rakes but they use Schaku Couplings in it which is a safe type of coupling and works the same as Centre Buffer Coupling so in case of an accident the coaches do not overlap each other that is why the Indian Railways are not changing the coaches that are in working mode because due to safetly reason they are perfect.
But from Now onwards the Coaches manufactured are using LHB technology which are best to be used in priority of safety in Indian Railways.
