ICF Rolls out New Generation Trainset for Kolkata Metro
On July 4, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai rolled out the first of 2 new generation Medha trainsets for Kolkata Metro’s Line-1 in the presence of Railway Boarch Chairman A.K. Mittal and ICF’s General Manager S Mani.
As per the ICF, this 8-coach prototype train is technologically on par with other metro trains around the country but cost only Rs. 5 crores per coach – roughly 40%-60% cheaper than others. The air conditioned train is said to have a capacity for 3,050 passengers and consists of an indigenously manufactured 3-phase insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) AC traction system, regenerative braking, electrically operated automatic sliding doors with manual override for emergency, passenger talk-back facility, LCD display for passenger information and a LED route board.
During the event, the ICF’s General Manager mentioned that it was keen to bid and supply these coaches to other metro systems around the country and offered to build a prototype standard gauge trainset for Chennai’s metro system which has already procured 168 (42 x 4) Alstom Metropolis coaches for its 45 km Phase 1 network.
Images –
Photo Copyright: Times of India
Photo Copyright: AIR
Photo Source: Rajtoday
Photo Copyright: AIR
Photo Copyright: AIR
Flagged off – Photo Copyright: Dinakaran
Photo Copyright: Dinakaran
Videos –
While it isn’t the prettiest of trains, this is a highly encouraging start for a production unit of the Indian Railways that wishes to contribute towards the government’s ‘Make in India’ program. Their performance (and desirability) will be gauged after they arrive in Kolkata and get pressed in to service over the next couple of months.
For more updates, check out the Kolkata section of The Metro Rail Guy!
– TMRG
I thought the same about the look. I’m sure it can be tweaked though
Well it looks fine but I wonder about something…
Wasn’t that CNR Dalian who was supposed to manufacture trains for Kolkata line 1 ?
Are they really looking for replacing trains in several systems in India ?
Kolkata metro is set to add both these new-gen ICF as well as the CNR- Dalian coaches going forward. The Chinese coaches will start coming in from end-2017
Yup. Just to add – CNR Dalian coaches will become the workhorse of Line-1. The 2 ICF trainsets are merely prototypes.
Raphael – Apart from Kolkata, no operator has plans to replace their trainsets as their respective fleets are quite new.
Is there any news of arrival of these rakes to Kolkata (Noapara Carshed)?
I need to confirm this, but I don’t believe they’ve been dispatched from ICF’s yard yet.
I have heard so, that still the rakes at ICF, not yet dispatched to Kolkata.
Update – the train arrived at Noapara Depot on July 17 (see tweet with info/pics)
I Think its wonderful that India is catching up. As for the aesthetics, yeah the exterior can be a bit more refined, however the insides look on par with any other metro coach. And all this coming at half the cost…wonderful.
While having 50 Lakh population, Kanpur is lacking behind in public transport system with least buses (almost nil) and there is no means of other public transport system in the city. With lots of e-rickshaw and paddle rickshaw, the whole city seems to crawling. Due to lack of proper transport, more and more people are forced to purchase their own cars and bike resulting in choked roads everywhere.
Metro was also planned for more the 10 years but it is still on paper. The project cost then assumed was Rs 13,721 crore might have gone up to 26,000 crore just double, The infrastructure cost can’t come down but I think that if these coaches were considered for Kanpur Metro then we can save lot of money on train sets
Looks eerily like the AC coach rake in MSR…these morons don’t have any sort of imagination!!!