The Hindu Business Line : `We are concentrating on passenger comfort, safety' <B>— </B>Mr Shivendra Kumar, General Manager, ICF

Ever since the country's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, rolled the first coach out of the Integral Coach Factory at Perambur, near Chennai,on October 2, 1955, ICF has come a long way, producing over 34,000 bogies of some 250 types.

The country's premier rail coach manufacturing unit, which is on its Golden Jubilee (it turns 50 on October 2, 2005), produces around 1,000 bogies a year.

The factory, which the Indian Railways started in collaboration with the Swiss Car and Elevator Manufacturing Company, has around 13,000 employees. It also has manufactured some prestigious coaches, including the luxurious tourist car Deccan Odyssey for the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.

Mr Shivendra Kumar, who took over as ICF General Manager in April, spoke to Business Line about ICF's progress over the years and the roadmap ahead.

Excerpts from the interview:

Fiscal 2003-04 was the best year for ICF. Could you elaborate on last year's performance?

Yes. Last fiscal ending March 31, 2004 ICF turned out 1,070 coaches, which was the highest ever produced in ICF since inception.

These were valued at about Rs 610 crore. When ICF was started, the joint venture arrangement was to manufacture only third class shells.

Today, ICF produces railway passenger coaches of more than 250 varieties. The product ranges from the ordinary second-class day coach to the most luxurious tourist car. ICF does the entire production of coaches indigenously.

What is the target for 2004-05?

ICF started off with the capacity to build 350 coaches a year in single shift and this was later increased to 700. During the modernisation programme in the 1980s, ICF raised its capacity to 900 coaches. Since then, it has slowly increased its out-turn to 1,050 coaches. The target for 2004-05 is to produce 1,106 coaches (valued at Rs 647.70 crore).

Our annual production capacity is around 1,000 coaches. However, we are producing around 1,100 coaches a year. The number of coaches may go up to 1,250 coaches.

This would require additional infrastructure and investment in machinery, isn't it?

Yes, we have taken up a project of an automated painting system at a cost of Rs 28 crore, and it will be completed next fiscal. A project to upgrade technology and produce latest AC/DC (alternative current/direct current) EMUs (electric multiple units) is under implementation at a cost of Rs 47 crore, and this will be completed by September 2006.

Research and development and design are crucial for ICF. Could you elaborate on the kind of R&D centre you have at ICF?

The collaboration with the Swiss firm was only for design of the shell of a third class coach, and furnishing was done by ICF. So far, over 250 designs of coaches in three gauges (broad, meter and intermediate) have been made at ICF. This is a significant achievement. Further, the bogie was designed for speeds of 100 kilometres per hour. This has been redesigned to 140 kmph, which is another major design improvement.

With over 200 engineers in the R&D team, we can proudly say that we have the best and full-fledged computer-based design development centre.

Apart from introducing new types of coaches, ICF is also concentrating on new features to provide comfortable and safe journey to passengers.

This includes emergency exit windows on both sides of coaches — in second-class and air-conditioned coaches and emergency exit hatches in roof and in floor areas.

This will ensure safe and swift evacuation in the event of rail mishaps. Tatest EMUs incorporate various new features including end-to-end duct type lighting, public address system and ergonomically designed driver's cab.

How do you differentiate ICF from the Kapurthala Coach Factory (KCF)?

KCF is a young railway coach-manufacturing centre, and there is a major difference between the two.

For instance, ICF was started when the country's industrial climate was beginning to evolve. We had to start from the scratch, and even manufacture nuts and bolts.

However, KCF was started a couple of decades ago when the country's industrial climate was on firm footings. Further, KCF outsources components, and concentrates only on shells.

ICF supplied bogies for the SkyBus project of Konkan Railways. Are there further orders for them?

The SkyBus project is unique in the country. ICF designed and manufactured two prototype bogies.

Recently, there were project trials, and it is too early to comment what will be second phase for ICF.