Indian Railways has introduced new, lightweight coaches of stainless steel aim in order to provide greater safety and passenger comfort. Sixteen coaches, manufactured under technology transfer from Linke Hoffman Bosch and Alstom, will roll out in mid-June and run as the Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani. The first lot of LHB-Alstom coaches were imported last year and are already in service as the Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi Express. Under the terms of the agreement, the coaches are being manufactured in India by the Kapurthala-based Rail Coach Factory (RCF). According to RCF officials, the unit will switch its entire production to LHB-Alstom coaches in the next three years and manufacture 726 units this year. The use of stainless steel and aluminium in the interiors brings down weight, and the increased length enhances seating capacity by nearly 20%.
