JAMMU, SEPT 18: Vande Bharat trains operating in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmir Valley, have been equipped with specialised features to withstand extreme winter conditions, including sub-zero temperatures and dense fog, a senior Integral Coach Factory (ICF) official said.
Interacting with Kashmir-based journalists visiting Chennai under a PIB tour, Anupam Chouhan, Chief Workshop Engineer, LHP Division, ICF, said railway services operating in challenging climatic conditions require specially designed systems to ensure safe and uninterrupted operations.
Elaborating on the Kashmir-specific Vande Bharat trains, Chouhan said a special heating arrangement has been provided along the water-pipe network to prevent the pipelines from freezing during severe winter conditions.
The system is aimed at ensuring uninterrupted water supply for lavatories and other onboard facilities even when temperatures fall below the freezing point.
Another key feature incorporated into the Vande Bharat trains deployed in Kashmir is a powerful defogging system designed to tackle dense fog and condensation. Chouhan said accumulation of fog and moisture on the front and rear panes can affect visibility, particularly for the locomotive pilot.
“To ensure clear visibility and an unobstructed line of sight, strong defoggers have been provided in trains operating in Kashmir,” he said.
The specialised systems reflect efforts to adapt modern railway technology to the difficult climatic conditions of Jammu and Kashmir, where harsh winters, freezing temperatures and fog can pose operational challenges for railway infrastructure and rolling stock.
During the interaction, Chouhan also highlighted the expanding manufacturing activities at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, one of the major coach manufacturing facilities of Indian Railways. He said the factory was moving in line with the changing requirements of the Railways, with increasing emphasis on next-generation Vande Bharat coaches.
ICF, which was inaugurated on October 2, 1955 by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, has since manufactured more than 80,000 coaches. The facility has emerged as one of the world’s largest single-site coach manufacturing units.
The Chennai-based factory has around 8,500 government-sector personnel and nearly 6,000 private-sector workers engaged in manufacturing and allied activities. Chouhan said ICF produced around 3,500 coaches during the last financial year, while its production target for the current year has been fixed at 3,865 coaches.
He said the factory was also progressing towards enhanced Vande Bharat production in response to the Railways’ modernisation requirements. According to Chouhan, work is underway for manufacturing four Vande Bharat chair-car train sets and four Vande Bharat sleeper train sets in the near future.
He further said one Vande Bharat freight train had already been rolled out and was currently undergoing trials, while another freight train was under manufacturing.
The increasing focus on Vande Bharat coaches comes amid the Railways’ broader plan to progressively replace older conventional coaches with modern-generation rolling stock. The move is aimed at upgrading passenger services, improving onboard facilities and supporting faster and more efficient train operations across the country.
Chouhan said ICF was catering to the requirements of different railway zones and regions across the country, with production being aligned with the operational needs of various sectors.
The specialised winter features in Kashmir-bound Vande Bharat trains underline the efforts being made to combine modern high-speed rail technology with region-specific requirements, particularly in areas where severe weather conditions can directly affect railway operations.
