Title - Integral Coach Factory to expand output capacity

The Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, is expanding its production capacity at a project cost of Rs 250 crore. This was necessitated after the factory achieved a maximum annual capacity of 15,000 coaches during the last financial year.The expansion, expected to be completed during this financial year, will increase annual production capacity to 17,000 coaches, according to Mr Abhay K. Khanna, General Manager, ICF.

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During this financial year, the ICF will actually roll out coaches more than its capacity. The target is to produce 16,001 coaches while the capacity is only 15,000. This will be achieved through a combination of enhanced productivity, a strong production monitoring system and a better vendor management system, he told newspersons at the factory. Last week, the ICF achieved a milestone by rolling out its 45,000{+t}{+h} furnished coach since its inception 60 years ago. This is a huge achievement for ICF, which competes with Rail Coach Factory in Kapurtala, Punjab, to roll out coaches for the Indian Railways, he said. Mr Khanna said that to reach the first 5,000 coaches it took 13 years and for the second 5,000 it took seven years. However, to manufacture the last 5,000 coaches it took only four years. ICF is making 49 different kinds of coaches while Kapurtala rolls out mostly the Linke Holfmann Bush coaches of Indian Railways.On plans to manufacture double-deck rail coaches, Mr Khanna said that ICF had written to the Railway Board to allot production of such coaches. In the past, ICF had manufactured such coaches from Perambur but it is now being manufactured by RCF, he said.