Massive Coach Boost for Delhi-Mumbai and Howrah Routes
Indian Railways plans to manufacture thousands of new LHB and sleeper coaches to ease congestion on Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors.
Indian Railways is gearing up for a major capacity overhaul on its most heavily trafficked corridors. To alleviate intense passenger congestion, significant infrastructure and rolling stock upgrades are being implemented on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes.
Addressing Coach Production Targets
Recent social media reports suggested a production target of 21,742 new coaches over three years. However, official sources have clarified that these figures represent long-term procurement projections rather than a finalized short-term mandate. The ministry is instead focusing on a structured plan to augment capacity through specific manufacturing goals.
The current augmentation strategy involves:
- Manufacturing 10,000 non-AC LHB coaches.
- Producing up to 17,000 additional general and sleeper class coaches to ensure affordable long-distance travel.
These production efforts are being spearheaded by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai and the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala.
Upgrading Existing Services and Safety
To provide immediate relief, operational enhancements are already underway on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors. This includes the deployment of additional 3AC, sleeper, and general chair car coaches to existing train services.
Safety is also being prioritized with the commissioning of the Kavach 4.0 Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system across key sections of these routes. This advanced technology is designed to enhance safety and facilitate higher operational speeds of up to 160 kmph.
Vande Bharat Expansion and Sleeper Services
The network expansion also includes significant updates to the premium Vande Bharat fleet. The ministry is preparing for the rollout of Vande Bharat Sleeper services and is transitioning standard Vande Bharat units into 20-coach configurations to better meet the growing transit demand.