INTERNSHIP REPORT

A report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Award of Degree of BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING in MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING
by
ERVA KIRAN
ROLL-160119736310
CHAINTANYA BHARATHI INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY, GANDIPET

Under Supervision of SOUTH CENTRAL RAILWAY-SECUNDERABAD

(Duration: 7TH JULY TO 21ST JULY 2022)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This report shall be incomplete if I don’t convey

heartful gratitude to those people from whom I got
considerable support and encouragement during this
internship.
Many people helped,provided direction technical
information and device at all stages of my internship
and its our pleasure to say vote of thanks to all of them .
Howerever, with the help of guides of south central
railway-secunderabad it seems much more intresting to
write this acknowledgement which provided me a good
study envinorment and access of workshop facility.
I will be very thankful to our collage- chaintanya
Bharathi institute of technology for giving permission
to do internship in your organisation.
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING –
CHAITANYA BHARATHI INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
(an autonomous institute) gandipet -Hyderabad

CERTIFICATE

This is certify that the internship report submitted by

erva kiran (160119736310) during the academic year
2019-2023 from department of mechanical
engineering - Bachelors of engineering
INDEX
Training schedule:
1 working principle of ICF air brake system
2 working principle of EP brake system
3 working principe and maintenance practice of LHB air brake
system
4 failure analysis os LHB air brake air brake components

WORKSHOP SECTIONS UTILISED

1 CTR
2 AIR BRAKE
3 WHEEL
4 LHB BOGIE
AIR BRAKE SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION
In Air Brake system compressed air is used for
operating the brake system. The
locomotive compressor charges the feed pipe and the
brake pipes throughout the length
of the train. The feed pipe is connected to the auxiliary
reservoirs and the brake pipe is
connected to the distributor valve. Brake application
takes place by dropping the pressure
in the brake pipe.
COMPONENTS OF AIR BRAKE SYSTEM
1. Brake Container (Brake Equipment Panel)
2. Distributor valve
3. Check Valve
4. Isolating Cocks (with & without vent hole)
5. Pressure Tanks (125 litres, 75 litres, 6 litres)
6. Filters
7. Test Fittings
8. Indicators
9. Angle Cocks
10. B.P./F.P. Couplings and Hoses
11. Emergency Brake Pull Box
12. Emergency Brake valve
13. Bogie Brake Equipment, consisting of-
Brake Discs
Brake Caliper Units (consisting of Brake Cylinder, Brake
Calipers, Brake Pads)
14. Wheel Slide Control System
INTEGRAL COACH FACTOR

BRAKE CONTAINER (BRAKE EQUIPMENT PANEL)

The Brake Container (Brake equipment panel) consists

of a Manifold on which various devices like the
Distributor Valve, Cocks, Test fittings etc. are mounted.
It also consists of the reservoirs required for the Brake
system. The container is mounted under the car
body and different lines (Feed pipe, Brake pipe, etc.)
are connected to it.
Installation Space and Fixing Point
The overall space for the Containers is 1505 X 1330 X
712 mm. The container consists of 4 plates which are
used for mounting the container under the car body.
These plates are bolted to the car body with the help
of 16 bolts (M10, 4 for each plate).
The Brake Manifold
The devices indicated under the Module plate on the
piping diagram are mounted on the Brake Manifold
using “O” ring joint to seal the interface connection.
The devices on the
manifold are protected against stone hitting by a mesh
cover provided below the devices.

The connections from the manifold to the back plate of

containers and the reservoirs are
provided through single ferrule fittings. The pipes used
for connections are of stainless
steel.
Connections to the Container
There are 7 connections to the container for Passenger
Coach,
Feed pipe
Brake pipe
Brake cylinder pressure – bogie 1
Brake cylinder pressure - bogie 2
Indicating device – bogie 1
Indicating device – bogie 2
Auxiliary support pipe ( for toilet)
There are two additional connections for the
containers of the generator coaches,
Support for Indicating device of handbrake
Types of Air Brake: There are two types;
✓Direct Release System
✓Graduated Release System
Direct Release System
▪ Used in American Rail road where DV does not allow
the BC pressure to be released in stages.
▪ Once BC starts to exhaust, it will do so till BC
pressure becomes zero.
▪ This will affect the BC pressure during subsequent
applications.
(Not suited for ghat sections) Graduated Release
System; DV will allow BC pressure to be reduced in
stages. This helps in retaining air pressure in BC during
subsequent brake applications. This system is adopted
in Indian Railways.
Types of Air Brake System;
Air brake system is further classified as;
◼ Single pipe system.
◼ Twin pipe system.

Single pipe System:- Only brake pipe is provided for

charging the AR and for Brake application. Twin pipe
system:- Brake pipe is provided for DV operation. Feed
pipe for charging Auxiliary Reservoir.

SINGLE PIPE GRADUATED RELEASE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM

◼DV ◼CR ◼AR ◼COAC ◼DC ◼BC ◼COAC ◼BP
◼HOSE ◼
TWIN PIPE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM Air Brake Equipments;

❖Feed pipe with 2 hoses and palm ends. ❖Brake pipe

with 2 hoses and palm ends. ❖Cut-off angle cocks 2
nos on each air pipes. ❖Brake cylinder ❖Distributor
Valve. ❖Auxiliary Reservoir ❖Isolating cocks
❖Centrifugal dirt collectors ❖Brake cylinder
❖Passenger Emergency Alarm device Position of BP &
FP COAC & air hose connection; Identification of BP &
FP; • By color; BP – Green FP – White
• By Position;
BP – Lower FP – Higher • By palm end letters Brake
Pipe – BP Feed Pipe – FP Confirmation of BP/FP Air
hoses; Open any one of the cut off angle cock in the
locomotive. Identify the pressure Gauge which
registers the reduction. In case of Wagon/Coaches; ✓
pipe line connected to DV - BP ✓ pipeline connected to
AR - FP.
7. HOSE COUPLING Hose couplings are provided to
connect Brake pipe hoses of consecutive coaches. The
brake pipe is thereby made continuous through out the
train. It enables the supply of compressed air to all
coaches for activating their brake equipments.
8. DIRT COLLECTOR The Dirt collector is provided at
the junction of BP and branch pipe. It removes dust
from the compressed air coming through the BP. 5.
AUXILIARY RESERVOIR The auxiliary reservoir stores
the air required to fill the brake cylinder for brake
application. 6. CUT OF ANGLE COCK COAC is provided
on the brake pipe at either end of each wagon which is
used for opening or closing the brake pipe. When the
handle of COAC is parallel to the pipe, it is open and
when at right angle to the pipe, it is closed. 9. GUARDS
EMERGENCY BRAKE VALVE The Guards emergency
brake valve is provided in the brake van, so that in case
of an mergency, the guard can communicate to the
driver of the train by operating the valve, the air from
BP is exhausted to atmosphere. The drop in BP can also
be observed in the air flow meter provided in the
locomotive and finally the driver applies the brakes for
stopping the train. 10.PRESSURE GUAGE This gauge is
provided in BV to enable the guard to check the
pressure in the BP 3. CONTROL RESERVOIR The CR of 6
liters volume is directly mounted to the pipe bracket.
4. BRAKE CYLINDER At the time of brake application
compressed air from AR via DV enters Brake cylinder
and moves its piston outwards. The force on piston in
the BC is multiplied and transmitted to brake blocks .
EP BRAKE SYSTEM: (ELECTRO PNEUMATIC
BRAKE)

Introduction

The electro-pneumatic (EP) brake was introduced in the early

years of the 20th century in an attempt over come the lag in the
operation of the pure air brake. Originally designed for subways
or metros, electro-pneumatic brake systems are now common
on main line passenger railways and on some specialised freight
operations. Its main advantage over the air brake is its speed of
control and quick on-vehicle reaction times, giving instantaneous
control of the whole train to the driver. Its speed of operation
makes it ideal for automatic train operation (ATO).  EP braking is
not the same as ECP braking.  ECP brakes have been introduced
recently in an attempt to overcome the drawbacks of the air
brake system on long freight trains.
Principles of the E-P Brake

There are many types of e-p brake systems is use today

and most of them were developed as an "add-on" to
the original air brake system and, as a result,
incorporated some common principles in their design
as follows:
 The e-p brake operates as the service brake while
the air brake is retained for emergency use
 The e-p brake does not compromise the fail-safe
or "vital" features of the air brake
 The air brake normally remains in the "Release"
position, even while the e-p brake is in
"Application" and the same brake cylinders are
used.
 E-P brakes are invariably used on multiple unit
passenger trains.
 E-P brakes use a number of train wires to control
the electrically operated brake valves on each car.
 The train wires are connected to a brake "valve" or
controller in the driver's cab.
A Simple E-P Brake System

 A schematic of the pneumatic layout of a simple e-p

brake system. The standard air brake equipment is
retained as the safety system for back-up purposes. A
main reservoir pipe is provided along the length of the
train so that a constant supply of air is available on all
cars. A connection pipe is provided between the main
reservoir and the brake cylinders on each car. An
"application valve" in this connection pipe will open
when required to allow main reservoir air into the
brake cylinders. Because the brake pipe is fully charged
during an e-p application, the triple valve is in the
release position so the brake cylinder is connected to
the exhaust. For e-p operation, a "holding valve" is
added to the triple valve exhaust. When an e-p
application is called for, the holding valve closes and
prevents brake cylinder air escaping through the
exhaust. 
EP Control

Electro-Pneumatic brakes are controlled by the driver's

brake valve handle.  It is usually the same handle used
to control the air brake.  Electrical contacts are
provided so that selection of a position will energise
the train wires required to operate the e-p valves on
each car (Figure 2). Current to operate the brake
control is supplied from a battery through a control
switch, which is closed in the operative cab.  
Figure 2: Schematic for EP brake control. In the release
position, all contacts are open and the e-p valves on
each car are de-energised. In the "Application" position,
the holding and application wires are energised and
both valves will be energised on each car to cause the
brakes to apply. Note that the contact for the holding
wire is arranged to close first so that no air will escape
when the application valve is opened. In the "Holding"
position, only the holding wire is energised.  In effect,
the driver can add or subtract air at will and can obtain
an infinite variety of braking rates according to the
requirements of each stop.
Brake Cylinder Pressure
It is essential to ensure that, during braking, the train
wheels do not skid. Skidding reduces the braking
capability and it damages wheels and rails. Wheels
involved in a skid will often develop "flats", a small flat
patch on the tyre which can normally only be removed
by reprofiling the wheel in a workshop. To reduce the
risk of skidding, brake cylinder pressure must be
restricted. In a pure air brake system, a natural
restriction is imposed by the maximum allowed brake
pipe pressure and in the proportion of volume
between the auxiliary reservoir and the brake cylinder.
In an EP equipped train, the main reservoir supply may
not restricted, so it would be possible to go on
pumping air into the brake cylinder until it burst.
Of course, this will not happen because the brake
cylinder is fitted with a safety valve (not shown in the
diagram) set at the maximum pressure normally
obtained in full braking.
E-P Variations

There have been a number of developments of the e-p

braking system over the years, including a common
addition - the "Self Lapping" brake.  There have also
been "retardation controllers" and, more recently,
variable load control and single wire or P-wire control.
Self Lapping Brakes

A "self lapping" brake is really a brake controller (brake

stand or brake valve, call it what you will) in the
driver's cab, where the position of the brake handle
between "Release" and  Application" corresponds to
the brake rate achieved by the equipment - in theory
at least.  This is similar in principle to the self lapping
control valves fitted to some air braked locomotives. A
number of different systems have been adopted,
including one which uses a pressure sensitive valve
detecting brake cylinder pressure and comparing it
with the position of the brake handle. When the
pressure corresponds to the position of the brake
handle, the application electrical connection is opened
to keep the brake cylinder pressure at that level. 
Another version was developed, using a mercury filled
tube inside the brake controller.  The mercury was
used to conduct the control cur0rent to the application
and holding wires.  The shape of the tube was oval and
it was aligned "forward and aft" so it allowed the
mercury to flow forward if the train started braking. 
When "Application" was called for, the movement of
the brake handle towards full application tilted the
mercury tube backwards and caused the holding and
application valves to be energised.  As the train brakes
applied, the mercury detected the slowing of the train
and it ran forward in the tube.  This had the effect of
cutting off the application so that the rate of braking
conformed to the angle of the tube set by the driver's
movement of his brake handle.
Retardation Controller

The mercury brake controller was an adaption of a

device introduced to London Underground in the mid-
1930s called the "mercury retarder" or "retardation
controller". 
The mercury retarder is a dynamic switch set into the
e.p. brake application circuit, comprising a glass tube
filled with mercury.  It is mounted parallel to the
motion of the train so that the mercury fluid reacts to
the train's braking.  The tube is curved so that the
electrical contact at the base is always covered with
mercury but a second contact, set higher up the rear of
the tube, becomes exposed when the mercury runs
forward during braking.  It has the effect of measuring
the deceleration rate.  It cuts off application at a pre
set level, no matter how much more the driver tries to
put into the brake cylinders.  Its main purpose was to
reduce flatted wheels.  It also acted as a crude form of
load compensation. 
In the London Underground version, two retarders
were provided and they were stationary, being fixed in
the driving car.  They were used to regulate the rate of
braking at the full application end of the range,
primarily to reduce skidding and the dreaded "flats" on
wheels.  One retarder limited the application while the
second was used to reduce the brake cylinder pressure
by releasing some air through a special "blow down"
valve.
Retardation controllers were later used to control
braking rates on the world's first ATO railway, the
Victoria Line.  Four were used in all, each being set at a
different angle and selected as necessary to give the
required braking rate.  They were also used by British
Rail as self-lapping brake controllers provided on the
EMU stocks built in the 1960s and 70s.
Variable Load Control

Although the retardation controller is a form of load

control - because the braking rate is monitored, a
heavier train will require more brake cylinder pressure,
so the retarder will not reach its setting until the right
rate is reached - it is rather crude. It only monitors the
whole train, not individual cars. This means that lightly
loaded cars in a generally heavy train are still at risk
from a skid or wheelslide, as it is called. The solution is
in variable load control. The car weight is monitored,
usually by a lever fitted between the car and the bogie,
which detects the bogie spring depression as weight
increases. The lever is connected to a regulating valve
in the brake cylinder feed pipe, so that the brake
cylinder pressure is varied in relation to the weight of
the car.  With the introduction of air suspension, load
control is achieved by monitoring the level of air in the
suspension system and regulating brake cylinder
pressure accordingly. Nowadays, the same load signals
are used to vary acceleration and dynamic braking
according to car weight.
P-Wire Control

As train control systems grew more complicated, more

train wires were required and the traditional 10-wire
jumper used by so many railways grew to the 27-wire
or 40-wire jumper often seen today. In an attempt to
reduce wiring, a novel form of e-p brake control
appeared in the 1970s called the P-wire system. The
brake rate was controlled by a single wire carrying
pulses of different lengths to correspond to different
brake rates. The pulse width was modulated to
correspond to the brake demand required and it
became know as the PWM (Pulse Width Modulation)
system or P-wire, for short. The system was "fail-safe"
in that no pulse activated the full brake while a
continuous pulse kept the brake released. 
Three-Step Brake
Another development for electrical brake control was
the 3-step system adopted on British railway EMU
trains in the 1970s. It was based on the Westcode 7-
step brake system where three steps were taken for
service braking use. These were broadly described as
minimum, normal and full service braking. With the
addition of “Release” and “Emergency” the full range
of braking controls were provided. It also eliminated
the need for a brake pipe.
Figure 3: Schematic of electro-pneumatic brake system
without a brake pipe or triple valve. The braking
continuity of the train is based on the provision of
a “round the train” wire that is connected to the brake
controls to ensure that if the train becomes uncoupled
or any brake control defects occur, the train brakes will
automatically apply.
Brake Blending
Most trains are now provided with a combination of
friction braking and dynamic braking. The dynamic
braking system uses the electric traction motors of the
locomotive or train to provide a braking effort
by reversing the electrical connections so that the
motors become generators. The energy generated by
the motors is fed into on-board resistors (rheostatic
braking) or back into the electric traction supply
system (regenerative braking).
Dynamic braking only operates on wheelsets that have
electric motors. Other wheelsets need to be provided
with friction braking and, in case  the dynamic braking
ins’t available, the friction brake is provided on
motored axles too. The control of the two brake
systems is managed automatically by a brake blending
system.
4: Schematic of basic brake control blending system.
The control on each vehicle will include an additional
load monitor to adjust the brake according to the
vehicle load.
The brake blending system is set up so that, when the
driver (or the ATO system, if the train is automatically
controlled) calls for brake, the dynamic brake is the
preferred option. This is because it can save energy
through regeneration and it reduces wear on brake
pads or brake shoes and on discs and wheels. If the
dynamic brake meets the brake demand, the friction
brake is held off. If the dynamic brake effort is unable
to meet the demand called for, the friction brake is
added as necessary. The feedback loop that this
arrangement incorporates provides a blended brake
application that will always meet the demand.
PBL90 System
No survey of the electro-pneumatic brake would be
complete without a reference to the European system
known as PBL90.  This is not a pure e-p brake system as
used on metros and suburban systems but more of an
electrically assisted air brake control system. It is
designed to allow vehicles with no electro-pneumatic
brake controls to operate in a train with e-p control
available on the locomotive or power car. For a
description of the control system including diagrams,
go to the PBL90 EP Brake Control Page. 
Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brakes
A new form of electrical control of air braking is
currently being tested by a number of railroads in the
US. It is known as ECP and uses modern electronic
techniques to overcome the problems of air braking on
long freight trains.
The pure air control brake system invented by George
Westinghouse in the 1860s and still used by almost all
freight trains in the US and in many other parts of the
world suffers from two main problems. It takes a long
time for the air messages to travel along the train and
there is no graduated release. For example, the delay
for a reduction in train line pressure to travel from the
leading locomotive to the rear of a 150 car consist can
be 60 seconds. Also, you have to fully release the brake
and wait for the supply reservoirs to recharge before
you can reapply. Electrical control can overcome these
difficulties.
ECP refers to Electronically Controlled Pneumatic
brakes, key word being "Electronically" as opposed to
"electrically". Older systems fitted to passenger trains
(see above), use several train wires to operate
individual valves or variations in switching of the wires
to control brakes. Most of these systems use a second
train line for main reservoir air supplies and they do
not have the built-in two-way communications that
ECP systems have. A car in an ECP brake train can do a
self-diagnosis and report the information to the
engineer and it only requires the standard train line
pipe.
Operation of ECP

There is a control box on top of the engineer's console.

When he wants to apply brakes the engineer pushes
the button until the readout shows the amount of
brake cylinder pressure (or percentage of braking
effort) he wants. He releases the button; the control
unit then codes and sends the signal to all cars. They in
turn receive and interpret the message.
They then begin allowing compressed air from their
reservoirs to go to the brake cylinder until the desired
cylinder pressure is achieved. The microprocessors on
the cars will continuously monitor brake cylinder
pressure against leakage and maintain the desired
pressure.
If the engineer wants to reduce brake cylinder pressure
he simply pushes the release button until the desired
level is indicated, either partial or full release. Again a
signal is coded and transmitted to the cars. The cars in
turn do as commanded. If the engineer asks for only a
partial reduction of braking effort, he can increase the
effort again as needed without doing a full release first.
The processor on the car is constantly monitoring
brake pipe, reservoir tank and brake cylinder
pressures.
When braking commands are not being transmitted,
the head end (control) unit is sending out status
messages. The last car in the train (which knows it is
last due to the head end doing a train query and
initialisation at start-up) will respond to each status
message from the head end. All cars in the consist will
monitor these messages, and if a car fails to receive
three status messages in a row from either the head
end or the rear end, it will assume that the train is
broken in two or that the electrical line is broken. It will
then initiate an emergency stop, while trying to tell the
other cars and loco that it is doing so.

Power Sources for ECP

Each car has a rechargeable battery to provide the high

power requirements when solenoids need to be
activated. When the high power is not being used, the
batteries will trickle recharge from the
communications/power cable. (If the train uses radio
communication the batteries will recharge while the
car is in motion via an onboard generator creating
power from the motion of the car, either an axle
generator, or natural frequency vibration generator or
some other type of device.)
The hardwired system uses roughly 25% of its signal
capacity for brake commands and status messages.
Distributed power, controlled via the same cable uses
another 10-15%, leaving 60-65% of the signal capacity
for special monitors on the car, such as bearing
sensors, temperature sensors for reefers on tankers,
pressure sensors for tankers, etc.
Manufacturers Systems

TSM, which was a subsidiary of Rockwell International,

developed the first working ECP brake units. They are
now owned by WABCO. In addition, Westinghouse Air
Brake, New York Air Brake (a subsidiary of Knorr Corp.),
GE/Harris and a small company called Zeftron, are
developing ECP units.

TSM's first units worked in an "overlay" mode, where a

module was placed between the air pilots and the
actual valves, so that the system could work both ways.
Zeftron started out working on an "emulator" brake
valve, which totally eliminates the air pilots. The
system, which must always be powered, looks for ECP
commands. If it finds none, it monitors brake pipe
pressure and behaves just like a standard air brake. If
ECP command signals are present, the units behave
like an ECP brake.
Because of the sequential operations of standard
brakes, there is a flow control which limits how fast the
air can flow into the brake cylinder. On ECP systems,
because there is instantaneous reaction from all cars at
once, these flow controls are not used. The lack of
sequential activation and flow controls combined is
what makes ECP brakes so responsive.
TSM is now introducing an emulator system. This
enables cars fitted with it to work in ECP trains and
non-ECP trains.  New York Air Brake has a system
available for sale in the very near future. Westinghouse
Air Brake is playing it cool, waiting for all of the specs
to be written and all of the bugs worked out before
they commit to anything.

Benefits

Some of the benefits of ECP braking have already been

mentioned; instantaneous response to the engineer's
commands on all vehicles, graduated release of brakes
and continuous replenishment of reservoirs. But there
are other and more significant benefits for the industry
as a whole.
With the new responsiveness of ECP braking, braking
distances will be reduced. A range of 30 - 70%
reduction has been quoted. This will allow shorter
stopping distances and will, in turn, allow higher
speeds. The improved train handling will reduce slack
action, breakaways and derailments and will lead to a
reduction in draft gear maintenance.
There may be a price to pay. Although the current view
is that brake shoe and wheel wear will be reduced, it is
easy to see that engineers will develop their handling
skills with the new system and this will lead to higher
speeds needing more and heavier brake applications. A
wise railway management will recognise this and will
review its speed limit zones to ensure the maximum
benefits are obtained without excessive brake usage.

Developments

There was much discussion amongst experts regarding

the need for an end-of-train (EOT) device or letting the
last car act as the end-of-train beacon. It seems that
the last word on EOT beacons was that there will be
one!
There are committees that are developing specs right
now to permit the addition of monitors onto cars. The
monitors will have their own microprocessors and will
only send a signal to the head end when something on
the car is going out of specified limits. This keeps the
communications line open for brake commands, loco
commands, and emergency messages.
A further development will be the use of the electronic
train line for diagnostics, where the head end position
can be informed of hot boxes, car load temperatures,
tanker pressures, wagon doors not closed, parking
brake off/on and the like.
LHB ( LINKE HOFMANN BUSCH)
Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches are the
passenger coaches of Indian Railways that were
developed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of
Germany[1] (renamed Alstom LHB GmbH in 1998 after
the takeover by Alstom and now known as Alstom
Transport Deutschland)[2] and mostly produced by Rail
Coach Factory in Kapurthala, India.[3] They have been
used since 2000 on the 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad
gauge (1676 mm[4]) network of Indian railways.
Initially, 24 air conditioned coaches were imported
from Germany for use in the Shatabdi Expresses, after
which the Rail Coach Factory started manufacturing
after technology transfer.[5]
The coaches are designed for an operating speed up to
160 km/h and could go up to 200 km/h.[6] However,
they have been tested up to 180 km/h. Their length of
23.54 m and a width of 3.24 m means a higher
passenger capacity, compared to conventional rakes.
[7]
 The tare weight of the AC chair car was weighed as
39.5 tonnes.[8] They are considered to be "anti-
telescopic", which means they do not get turned over or
flip in case of a collision (chiefly head-on). These
coaches are made of stainless steel and the interiors are
made of aluminium which make them lighter as
compared to conventional rakes.[9] Each coach also has
an "advanced pneumatic disc brake system" for efficient
braking at higher speeds, "modular interiors" that
integrate lighting into ceiling and luggage racks with
wider windows.[10] The improved suspension system of
LHB coaches ensures more riding comfort for the
passengers compared to conventional rakes. The air
conditioning system of the LHB coaches is of higher
capacity compared to the older rakes and is controlled
by a microprocessor which is said to give passengers
better comfort than the older coaches during summer
and winter seasons. They are relatively quieter as each
coach produces a maximum noise level of 60 decibels
while conventional coaches can produce 100 decibels.
Each LHB coach costs between ₹ 1.5 Crore to ₹2.0
crore  , whereas the power car which houses a generator
costs about 3 crore .[6][11] IR declared that all ICF
coaches will be replaced by LHB coaches to provide
more safety and comfort. The ICF Coach was flagged
off making way for the LHB Coaches to be used for
most of the new coaches introduced in Indian Railways.
[12]

History
During 1993–94, Indian Railways decided to look for a
passenger coach design which would be lighter and
capable of higher speeds compared to their
existing rakes. The main features of the Railways'
specification were high speed light weight coaches to
run on the present infrastructure of the Indian Railways,
i.e. the railway, track and environmental conditions in
India at an operating speed of 160 km/h.[4][9] It was
decided by the Railways that the design would first be
tried in the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala (RCF),
and upon successful completion of this trial, it would be
tried in the Integral Coach Factory in Perambur.[5]
In 1995, after a global selection process, Alstom-LHB
received the order from Indian Railways to design and
develop a new passenger coach under a transfer of
technology agreement.[9] As part of the order, Alstom-
LHB had to execute two contracts, one for the supply of
"Light Weight High Speed Coaches for Broad
Gauge"[4] which includes the development, design and
manufacture of 19 AC 2nd Class Chair Cars, 2 AC
Executive Class Chair Cars and 3 Generator-cum-Brake
vans[13] and the other contract for the "Technology
Transfer" which includes the transfer of technology for
design and manufacturing, the training of Indian
Railways personnel in the premises of the manufacturer
and the technical assistance at RCF during the start of
production.[5]
Out of the 24 coaches imported from Germany, all of
them mostly being Air Conditioned chair cars,[14] the
first lot were used for New Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi
Express on a trial basis. It didn't turn out be successful
as the coaches' wide windows were targets of mischief
and stone-pelting. Railways had to use sealing tapes to
tape up the bruised windows.[9] When these rakes were
brought into service, couplers came unstuck and the
data collected from the passenger feedback showed that
the air conditioning was not "very effective". They were
withdrawn from service and after attending to the
problems, Railways reintroduced them on the New
Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi Express and proved
successful.[9][15]
The RCF began to manufacture other variants of LHB
design like the air conditioned first class, AC 2 tier
sleeper, AC 3 tier sleeper, hot buffet (pantry) car etc.,
from 2001 to 2002, and rolled out its first rake in
December 2002. The first such rake was introduced for
Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in December,
2003.[14] Up to March 2011, 997 LHB coaches were
produced by the RCF.[16][17] All of these coaches are
being used in premium trains
like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto Express, superfast
trains and have been offering better passenger comfort.
[18]
 Soon, all the Duronto trains will be equipped with
LHB coaches.[19]
Production
Annual production of LHB coaches is around 400 per
year for year 2013–14.[20]
 During 2010–11, Rail Coach Factory,
Kapurthala produced 300 coaches.[21] During
2012–13, the total number of coaches that were
produced was 1680, while in 2013–14, RCF was
able to increase the production to 1701 coaches.
[22]

 During 2013–14, Integral Coach

Factory produced 25 LHB coaches.[23] It plans to
increase its manufacturing capacity of LHB
coaches. It has set a target to manufacture 300
LHB coaches in 2014-15 and reach a capacity of
1000 LHB coaches by 2016–17.[24]
 The planned capacity of Modern Coach Factory,
Raebareli has produced 711 coaches during

 2017-18 and planned to 1400 coaches in 2018-19