As a part of the Indian Railway’s initiative to phase out conventional coaches, about 100 stainless steel coaches will roll out in 2009 from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF). The railway plans to remove the conventional coaches in another three to four years. Last year ICF made some stainless steel shells and from this year they are making full fledged coaches. The company will concentrate on the services of the main lines, which consists of air conditioned, sleeper and second class coaches. The successful completion of the project will also depend on the supply of metal portions. The coaches made at ICF will be handed over to the Railway Board, which will allot them to different zones. The stainless steel coaches will come as rakes and will not be interchangeable. The coaches are longer than the conventional coaches and have an increased passenger capacity in the form of an extra bay. Its passenger capacity is 10X8, whereas the capacity of a conventional coach is 9X8. The new coaches are fire retardant and stronger.
