Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, April 4 : The Tatanagar- Yesvantpur (near Bangalore) Express will run with state-of-the-art German-designed LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) coaches from April 11.Railway authorities at Tatanagar railway station today confirmed that they got an official circular from South Eastern Railway ( SER) headquarters in this regard today.
” In view of safety and comfort of the passengers, the decision has been taken. The train with the new LHB rake would depart from Tatanagar railway station on its scheduled time. The train will have 2nd AC, 3rd AC and general sleeper coaches, ” said H K Balmuchu, the Tatanagar station director.
He went on to say that the LHB coaches are equipped with balanced draft gear , a modern equipment in the braking system that prevents jerks.
Officials at Garden Reach, the SER headquarters in Kolkata, said the new rake comprising 20 LHB coaches manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory at Perambur, Chennai, is expected to arrive at the Panskura railway junction under the Kharagpur division in a day or two.
According to a senior railway official, LHB coaches run using an end-on-generation (EOG) system which means power to the coaches is supplied by generators in the power cars. Made of stainless steel on the outside and aluminium on the inside, the coaches are lighter than conventional ones. They are equipped with an advanced braking system for increased safety at higher speeds and are �anti-telescopic�, that means they do not flip even if the train derails. Built with German technology the coaches also prevent climbing on each other in event of accidents.
Its conventional rakes run on self-generating system, which means each coach generates its own power through a dynamo fitted under the coach and a battery that is used in case of an emergency or when the coach is not in motion.The manufacturing cost of each coach stands at Rs 1.5 crore.
Meanwhile, Chotanagpur Passengers Association has welcomed the move. U K Srivastava, senior functionary of the association said that the step taken by the Railways will help improve safety of the passengers. �I think these coaches ( LHB) are need of the hour and passengers will benefit from the move,� he noted.
The Tatanagar station assumes importance in view because it is located on the Howrah-Mumbai main route. Several important trains travel via Tatanagar, including the high-profile Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express. The station sees a daily traffic of 90 mail, express and passenger trains, besides a footfall of more than 60,000 passengers.
