Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has supplied the first consignment of Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) wheels to the Indian Railways. These wheels have been supplied from SAIL’s Durgapur Steel Plant, a company statement said.
The Indian Railways has switched to LHB coaches from ICF coaches for improved safety and higher speed. But the wheels for these LHB coaches are currently being imported.
“SAIL-DSP has developed these wheels and supply of the first consignment of 30 wheels from SAIL comes as another step towards import substitution by SAIL. SAIL was initially given an order to supply 1,000 LHB wheels by the Indian Railways, and the first consignment has been dispatched,” the company said.
These wheels have been developed with help from the Research Design and Standard Organisation (RDSO) of the Indian Railways and the Wheel & Axle Plant of DSP. The LHB wheels have a pneumatic disc brake system for efficient braking at higher speeds, reducing impact during accidents or emergency situations, SAIL said.
SAIL-DSP has been supplying wheels and axles to the Indian Railways for the last five decades, and is the only producer of forged wheels in the country. It has also developed loco wheels in line with the requirements of the Indian Railways, which were earlier being imported. SAIL, the only forged wheel producer in India, has the capacity to produce more than 70,000 forged wheels annually.
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