Tiruchi workshop to overhaul LHB bogies

For the first time the Golden Rock Railway Workshop in Tiruchi will carry out overhaul of bogies of new generation LHB (Linke Hofmann Bush) passenger coaches ahead of carrying out servicing such type of coaches in the coming months.

To begin with, the over 85-year-old workshop is to receive a couple of bogies of LHB coaches from the Madurai railway division for overhauling which is expected to begin shortly.

Being the first time that the workshop is to handle bogies of LHB coaches, the time taken to overhaul them would be slightly longer. The first two bogies of LHB coaches are expected to arrive at the workshop on Tuesday following which the overhaul works are set to begin.

Workshop authorities told The Hindu that more number of bogies of LHB coaches, different from the conventional compartments manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, were expected to reach the workshop for overhaul in the near future.

Engaged in a mosaic of activities including manufacture of steam locomotives and container wagons besides complete overhauling of diesel locomotives, the workshop has been carrying out period overhaul of conventional passenger coaches all these years.

With LHB coaches having been introduced in many trains across the railway network, the Golden Rock Workshop has been asked to gear up to deal with such coaches too.

Usually, it takes about two to three days to overhaul the bogies of conventional coaches. However, the time taken to overhaul bogies of LHB coaches would be a few more days since this was the first time that the workshop was to deal with such bogies, the authorities said.

The railway administration has already introduced LHB coaches in some trains operating in the Southern Railway zone including the Chennai – Tiruchi – Chennai Rockfort Express, Chennai – Tiruchi – Chennai Cholan Express and the Chennai – Madurai – Chennai Pandyan express.

The LHB coaches are slightly longer than the conventional compartments made by the ICF, which have been the main passenger carriers for several years. The LHB coaches offer better passenger safety and were superior than the conventional ones with respect to passenger comfort, speed, maintenance and aesthetics, according to the railways.

The workshop authorities say they expect the first LHB coach for a periodic overhaul before July. A detailed proposal has already been sent to the Railway Board by the workshop seeking funds to the tune of ₹36 crore for augmenting infrastructure, establishment of a dedicated shed and procurement of equipment required to overhaul such type of coaches.

Considered to be a premier workshop, it has carried out overhaul of as many as 1,181 passenger coaches and 137 diesel locomotives during the last fiscal. Passenger coaches which come for overhaul now were being fitted with bio-toilets, said the authorities.

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