SRINAGAR: The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has announced its plans to introduce Vande Bharat trains with heating facilities for the Jammu and Kashmir region next year, reported The Economic Times.
B G Mallya, the General Manager of ICF, as per The Economic Times revealed during Independence Day celebrations, “These upcoming trains will have compartments equipped with heating facilities and water lines. We will also integrate specialized pipes to prevent freezing and breakage.”
This move is in line with ICF’s strategy to diversify the offerings of Vande Bharat trains. Mallya emphasised, “Our goal is to manufacture 3,241 coaches in around 30 different variants this year. This includes two push-pull trains with LHB coaches, providing a similar travel experience to Vande Bharat trains in the non-AC segments.”
Elaborating further, Mallya stated, “The new train will boast upgraded interiors and premium passenger amenities, much like those found on Vande Bharat trains. Each end of the train will be equipped with a specially designed locomotive for push-pull operations, enabling higher speeds.”
ICF will also produce a sleeper version of Vande Bharat trains for long-distance travel, Vande Metro for short-distance intercity commuting, and a Gati Shakti train for expedited freight transportation within the Vande Bharat platform. The Gati Shakti train aims to facilitate the movement of e-commerce items, fast-moving consumer goods, and refrigerated products.
Mallya underscored ICF’s success in increasing the production capacity of the next-generation Vande Bharat trains despite numerous challenges. He pointed out that the factory has already deployed 30 trains, connecting cities across the nation, surpassing initial expectations.
In the previous year, the factory achieved its goal of manufacturing 2,702 coaches, which included 12 state-of-the-art Vande Bharat trains with numerous enhancements, in addition to 2,261 LHB coaches.
