Title - ICF, IIT-M pact to improve coach safety

The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) will soon strike two technical tie-ups aimed at improving two core aspects of rail travel — safety of coaches and additional comfort features for passengers.The ICF’s proposed tie up with IIT-Madras seeks expert inputs on eight broad parameters of coach safety. The most important of these involve finding better fire retardant materials, upgrading emergency exits to make them more reliable yet easier to release and engaging dynamics and vibration analysis to improve train speeds.Simultaneously, the ICF looks at firming up an MoU with Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design (NID) on adding an aesthetic touch to the interiors as well as loading more passenger comforts into the coaches.“Both these MoUs will shortly be signed simultaneously as we expect to be able to take the outcomes to the production shop floor in a few months. The improvements will be attuned to the switch to the LHB platform of stainless steel coaches,” ICF General Manager Abhay K. Khanna told The Hindu .The technical collaboration has been aligned to the Rs. 2.52 crore modernisation and ramp-up plan under way at the ICF. While Phase-I of the expansion is scheduled to be ready by the end of June, the Phase-II is expected to be complete by December, Mr. Khanna said.

When the expansion is complete, the ICF will be ramping up its annual production capacity to 1,700 coaches.

The ICF has been engaged in a series of consultations with the IIT-M faculty for the past seven months to shortlist some of the safety-related areas where the collaboration could be synergetic.

One of the projects in this collaboration is “skin tensioning”, which is regarded as a challenging proposition in manufacture of the outer shells of coaches. The surface is prone to ripples due to exposure to welding heat and needs tautening for a smooth finish.

The ICF-IIT-M tie up will also explore energy efficiency methods such as use of solar energy, better utilisation of the energy dissipated during braking, installation of more energy-efficient apparatus and creative use of the power wasted during testing of power cars. The optimisation of air flow in AC coaches and the coach design for structural and interior furnishings are the other components of the collaboration.

Mr. Khanna also explored the “quality and safety” theme while addressing ICF employees at the recent 58th Railway Week Celebrations at ICF and 160th year of Indian Railways. “Quality and safety shall have to take the place of pride in what all we do. We are aware that the travelling public expect a safe and comfortable travel with aesthetic surroundings."

Mr. Khanna, who honoured employees with medals, merit certificates and cash awards, complimented staff for the ICF’s feat of achieving the highest ever production of 1620 coaches in 2012-13.