The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has announced its plans to introduce Vande Bharat trains with heating facilities tailored for the Jammu and Kashmir region in the upcoming year.
During the Independence Day celebrations, B G Mallya, ICF’s General Manager, disclosed that these forthcoming trains will be equipped with heating amenities within the compartments as well as water lines. Specialized piping systems will also be integrated to prevent freezing and damage.
This strategic initiative is in line with ICF’s commitment to diversify the range of Vande Bharat trains. Mallya emphasized, “In the current year, ICF aims to manufacture 3,241 coaches across about 30 different versions. This includes two push-pull trains featuring LHB coaches to offer a similar travel experience as Vande Bharat trains in the non-AC segments.”
Mallya further elaborated, “These trains will showcase upgraded interiors and top-tier passenger amenities, mirroring those provided by Vande Bharat trains. Each end of the train will be equipped with a specially designed locomotive for push-pull operations, contributing to enhanced speed.”
Additionally, ICF is in the process of creating a sleeper version of Vande Bharat trains for long-distance travel, a Vande Metro variant for short-distance intercity commuters, and a Gati Shakti train designed for expedited freight transportation within the Vande Bharat platform. The Gati Shakti train is specifically aimed at facilitating the swift movement of e-commerce goods, fast-moving consumer items, and temperature-sensitive commodities.
Mallya underscored ICF’s achievements in ramping up the production capacity of the next-generation Vande Bharat trains, overcoming various challenges. He highlighted that the factory has exceeded expectations by deploying a total of 30 trains so far, connecting cities across the nation.
In the preceding year, the factory successfully met its goal of manufacturing 2,702 coaches, which encompassed 12 state-of-the-art Vande Bharat trains with numerous enhancements, in addition to 2,261 LHB coaches.