From ICF To LHB Coaches, Take A Look At The Changing Face OF The Indian Railways!

by Shreya Rathod
From ICF To LHB Coaches, Take A Look At The Changing Face OF The Indian Railways!

Indian Railways is historical as it has been a part of India’s British colonial history. The introduction of rail in the country was by the British colonists. Initially, rail was a mode of transport for them (Britishers) but gradually, it became an integral part of India. And provided connectivity between the districts and states. But, even after so many years, we had the same rail system and never thought of upgrading it. But not anymore! This Twitter user has posted an old vs a new picture of the Indian Railways.

Twitter User Captures A Old VS New Image Of Indian Railways

A Twitter user Priyam Ghosh has posted an image of the Sealdah Station. It showed two passenger trains — one on each side of the platform. The image was captioned as ‘Old Indian Railway vs New Indian Railway’. The image actually showed the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) in one frame. On the left-hand side stood Gour Express and on the right side was Darjeeling Mail. This image was then retweeted by the Ministry of Railways!

Also Read: Indian Railways Shares A Mesmerising View Of A Train Passing Through Ranpat Falls In Konkan Region

The Difference Between ICF And LHB Coaches

One of the earliest production units of India was the Integral Coach Factory which was inaugurated by our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The frame of the coach was made with mild steel and was a fabricated structure. Though it was the earliest coach model of India, the Linke Hofmann Busch coach was better than the former in many terms. The Linke Hofmann Busch could operate at a higher speed in comparison to the Integral Coach Factory and its maximum permissible speed is 160 kilometres per hour. While the permissible speed for the ICF coach is just 110 kilometres per hour.

During an accident, the LHB coaches won’t penetrate each other because they are anti-telescopic. They use Center Buffer Coupling (CBC) and do not collide during derailment or collision. While in the ICF coaches, Dual Buffer System is used. The LHB coaches have lesser moving parts and are equipped with a FIAT bogie.

Also Read: Holi Special Trains! Indian Railways Will Operate 350 Trains For The Festive Season

So, times are changing and so is the face of Indian Railways.

Cover Image Courtesy: Priyam Ghosh/ Twitter