New coaches for Shatabdi

The LHB (Linke Holfmann Bush) coaches, manufactured under technology-transfer from Germany, are the latest type of coaches being manufactured and come with several new features.

The coaches have been introduced on the Bangalore-Chennai route from Wednesday. Bangalore Divisional Railway Manager Sudhanshu Mani said that there was a long-standing demand to replace the rake and there were several complaints with the old rake.

The train will have a composition of one high capacity Executive AC Chair Car, seven AC Chair car coaches and two self generating power cars. The executive chair car will have a seating capacity of 56 passengers and AC Chair Cars will have a seating capacity of 78 passengers. These coaches have fire-retardant qualities, are anti-telescopic and cannot turn turtle in the event of any derailment or collision. 

According to the Railways, the LHB coaches have automatic couplers to join two coaches and these couplers can be easily uncoupled from the outside. This is unlike the conventional coaches where one needs to go inside the coach and move through the vestibule to uncouple two coaches.

The LHB coaches are also fitted with microprocessor controlled high capacity air conditioning system, which gives passengers better comforts during summer and winter season. Other amenities of the coaches include modular light fitting, halogen reading lights for individual seats, moveable/sliding coat hooks, integrated modular pantry unit, water boiler, refrigerating unit and hot case. Each of the LHB coach costs about Rs 2.5 crore, while the cost of a conventional coach is Rs 1.5 crore.