KOZHIKODE: The Southern Railway is planning to expand the services of the German-made Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches to more trains in Kerala. The Chennai-Mangaluru superfast express (No 12685) became the first short distance overnight train under Palakkad division to run with LHB coaches in February 2016 and the feedback has been good. LHB coaches are far superior to conventional coaches in terms of safety, train speed and passenger comfort. Now the Yeshwantpur-Kannur Express (16527) will start running with LBH coaches from July 21. Similarly, the pair train, Kannur-Yeshwantpur Express (16528), will also have LHB coaches from July 22 onwards.
A single LHB coach can accommodate an extra eight berths compared to the conventional coach. “LHB coaches are designed for an operating speed up to 160 km per hour and can go up to 180 km per hour. They do not get turned over or flip in case of a collision. These coaches are made of stainless steel and the interiors are made of aluminium which makes them lighter compared to conventional rakes,” said Palakkad Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM), T. Rajkumar.
Besides, LHB coaches have the advantage of providing more safety and better travelling comfort to the commuters through improved cushioning effect. The improved suspension system ensures more riding comfort. They are quieter as each coach produces a maximum noise level of 60 decibels while conventional coaches can produce 100 decibels. LHB coaches have been developed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany and produced by Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala.
