Heavy LHB bogie corrosion worries Railways; toilet leaks, saline air blamed
Indian Railways is investigating reports of heavy corrosion in LHB coach bogies, which has raised safety concerns among senior engineers. The issue is being attributed to factors like toilet leaks and exposure to saline air, prompting a review of maintenance protocols.
Why it matters
As the backbone of Indian transport, the structural integrity of LHB coaches is critical for passenger safety and the long-term viability of the rail network.
India made the switch from ICF design to LHB coaches in 2003 when the first such German-technology coaches were imported. Since then it has increasingly indigenized the coaches and now manufactures only LHB passenger coaches apart from train sets.But, recently senior railway engineers have raised concerns over heavy corrosion in the bogies of LHB passenger coaches, despite the use of materials that are designed to resist corrosion and efforts to strengthen cleaning and maintenance practices, according to a PTI report.The issue was discussed at a recent conference of principal chief mechanical engineers (PCMEs), where senior technical officials asked the three railway coach manufacturing units, Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala and Modern Coach Factory (MCF) in Rae Bareli, to examine the problem and identify suitable solutions.“Heavy corrosion in LHB bogies is a cause of worry,” the minutes of the conference, prepared by the Railway…
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