The Indian Railways, under the aegis of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), has been taking several steps to provide a better travel experience for rail passengers. The latest in these initiatives is a significant change for passengers traveling between Mumbai and Nagpur.
The Central Railway has announced the introduction of Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches in the CSMT-Nagpur Sevagram Express. This move is expected to make the journey between the two major cities of the state not only more comfortable but also safer than before. LHB coaches have already been introduced in several other trains on this route.
Indian Railways offers two types of coach services – the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and the LHB. The LHB coaches are red in color, while the ICF coaches are blue.
The ICF coaches are made of steel, and the LHB coaches are made of stainless steel. Gradually, the older ICF coaches are being phased out of service. In their place, LHB coaches, which have a codal life of 30 years, are being added to the trains. The LHB coach is a passenger coach developed by Germany’s Linke-Hofmann-Busch.
The railway administration has decided to replace the ICF rake of the Sevagram Express, which runs between Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Nagpur, with an LHB rake for the convenience of passengers.
The Sevagram Express will now run on the tracks with a total of 22 coaches. These will include two AC-2 tier, twelve AC-3 tier economy, four sleeper class, one guard’s brake van, and three general second-class coaches including a generator van.
The first rake of the 12140 Nagpur-CSMT Sevagram Express with LHB coaches will run from Nagpur this year on May 25, while the 12139 CSMT-Nagpur Sevagram Express will run from May 26. Meanwhile, the second rake of the 12140 Nagpur-CSMT Sevagram Express with LHB coaches will run from Nagpur from May 26, and the 12139 CSMT-Nagpur Sevagram Express will run from May 27, 2024.
This is indeed good news for passengers, as the introduction of LHB coaches is expected to significantly enhance the comfort and safety of their journey.
