ICF to manufacture Metro coaches from this year: Agarwal

CHENNAI: ICF (Integral Coach Factory), the premier coaching factory of Indian railway in Perambur, will manufacture Metro rail coaches from the current financial year.

Addressing staff and their family members after hoisting the national flag and accepting the guard of honour offered by RPF personnel at ICF stadium, A K Agarwal, general manager of ICF, said that ICF would be turning out Metro coaches for Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation and Garib Rath air conditioned tier-III coaches in the current financial year 2022-23.

Announcing that ICF has planned to manufacture 3,500 coaches in 50 variants, including Vistadome dining cars, which would be run in Gujarat come September, in addition to Vande Bharat rakes. Gatishakti freight train in Vande Bharat platform and steam engine themed heritage train with electric propulsion in Vande Bharat platform would also manufactured at ICF.

Agarwal also lauded the ICF staff for rolling out the first prototype rake of Vande Bharat Express (Version 2.0) that was handed over to RDSO for testing a few days ago after union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected it here on July 12. Minister Vaishnaw had announced after the inspection that about 75 such Vande Bharat trains would be manufactured only at ICF for operation all over the country.

The general manager added that despite many challenges, team ICF would remain persistent in its diligent efforts and wholehearted commitment and surpass the target also in the years to come.

EIR - 21 ran from Kodambakkam:

Southern Railway (SR) conducted a special heritage run of the one of the oldest functioning steam locomotives of the world, EIR - 21 from Chennai Egmore to Kodambakkam. Southern Railways general manager B G Mallya flagged off the run during which the century old locomotive hauled an air conditioned coach. The locomotive was given the name by its creators Kitson, Thomson and Hewitson of England. Shipped to the subcontinent in 1855, the locomotive was first used by East India Company, English and British Training company to move between Howrah and Raniganj among other places. It was in operation for 55 years transporting people and goods. The engine, which was put to disuse at Jamalpur workshop, was resurrected by staff of the loco workshop here. EIR - 21, along with Fairy queen - 22, which entered the Guinness book of records for being the oldest functioning workshop, is being pressed into service annually on Independence Day and Republic Day.