The Hindu Business Line : RCF plans to make 486 AC coaches

In 2006-07, the production unit has a target to produce 1,312 coaches, out of which, 37 per cent are AC. Against this, in 2005-06 and 2004-05, about 27 per cent of total coaches manufactured by the Kapurthala-based unit were air-conditioned.

PRODUCTION CAPACITY

Currently, RCF has an installed annual capacity of 1,000 coaches, though it has been rolling out over 1,200 consecutively for the past four years. The Railways has sanctioned Rs 55.42 crore to enhance the capacity to 1,400 coaches per year.

Given the installed capacity of 1,400, "We are targeting a production of about 1,800 coaches annually over the next two three years," said Mr Pratap Srivastava, General Manager, RCF.

EXPORT ORDERS

On the export front, RCF has received an order for supplying 50 coaches for an interlinked train between Senegal and Mali. "The order is valued at Rs 36 crore," said Mr Srivastava.

Earlier, RCF had supplied 20 coaches to Senegal. In 2005-06, RCF supplied 36 coaches (12 upper class chair cars, two ordinary chair cars and two brake vans) to Myanmar Railways.

"While we are already producing above capacity, we try to take up and serve some export orders to keep ourselves updated on the latest technologies," according to Mr Srivastava.

RCF is also in the process of setting up a wheel shop at an estimated cost of Rs 68 crore and a centre of excellence for design at a cost of Rs 10 crore.

COST COMPARISON

"While manufacturing ordinary coach costs around Rs 80 lakh-90 lakh, producing LHB coaches cost about Rs 2 crore," said Mr D.A. Anand, Chief Mechanical Engineer, RCF. LHB coaches are used primarily in select Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains.

RCF started manufacturing stainless steel LHB coaches after a transfer of technology agreement with Alstom-LHB, Germany. The Railways had imported 24 coaches from ALSTOM-LHB before the technology transfer agreement was signed. This new generation passenger coach — which is relatively longer, but lighter and maintenance friendly — improves passenger comfort, safety and operation and life cycle costs.

Apart from RCF, the Indian Railways has another coach production unit at Chennai— the Integral Coach Factory. Moreover, the Railway Ministry has also proposed to set up another coach production unit at Rae Bareilly at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore.

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