ICF coach
The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coach is a conventional passenger coach used on the majority of Indian Railways (IR) lines.[1] The Philippine National Railways (PNR) was a previous user of the cars, but retired the last of them in 2009.[1]
| Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coach | |
|---|---|
 Yellow ("utkrish" livery) and blue ("bleeding blue" livery) ICF coaches | |
| Designer | Swiss Car & Elevator Manufacturing Co |
| Built at | |
| Constructed | 1955–2018 |
| Scrapped | c.2000s–2009 (PNR) |
| Number scrapped | 30 (PNR) |
| Successor |
|
| Operator(s) |
|
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Corten Steel |
| Car length | 22,297 millimetres (22.297 m) including buffers |
| Width | 3,245 millimetres (3.245 m) |
| Height | 4,025 millimetres (4.025 m) |
| Floor height | 1,313 millimetres (1.313 m) |
| Wheelbase | 14,783 millimetres (14.783 m) |
| Maximum speed | 130 km/h (81 mph) |
| Bogies | ICF Bogies |
| Minimum turning radius | 152.4 m |
| Coupling system | Buffers and chain coupler, AAR H Type Tightlock CBC coupling |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
Indian Railways is currently phasing out ICF coaches and replacing them with newer LHB coaches are expected to address many of these issues.[1][2][3]
History
The design of the coach was developed by Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, Chennai, India in collaboration with the Swiss Car & Elevator Manufacturing Co, Schlieren, Switzerland in the 1950s. The design is also called the Schlieren design based on the location of the Swiss company.
The first ICF coach had been flagged by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on 2 October 1955. The last ICF coach was flagged off by senior technician Shri Bhaskar P. in the presence of Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani on 19 January 2018.[3]
Image gallery
A red ICF coach used on an unnamed train
A blue ICF coach used on the Gorakdham Express
A buffers and chain coupler on an ICF coach used on Uttaranchal Sampark Kranti Express
A yellow ICF coach used on the Nauchandi Express
See also
- Bo-Bo – The wheel arrangement of ICF coaches as per the UIC classification
References
- "DNA Exclusive: Is It Time for Indian Railways to Tear Up Ageing Tracks and Old Machinery?". ZeeNews.India.com. Zee Media Corporation. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- Ayyappan, V. (4 January 2021). "Leakage Found in ICF Coaches". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- Debroy, Bibek (9 February 2018). "A 70-Year-Old Vs a 30-Year-Old: LHB Coaches Perform Better than ICF Ones". Business Standard. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
