Railways upgrades Howrah Express with LHB coaches

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 18

A new look Howrah Express (13006) on Tuesday chugged out in state-of-the-art high speed Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches. The train connects Amritsar with Kolkata.

Its all 18 coaches were replaced with LHB coaches, which include 10 sleeper class, two general class, four third AC, besides one each for second and first AC.

The train covers 1,909-km journey with 57 halts in 36 hours and 50 minutes. The LHB coaches can accommodate speed of 180 km per hour. However, as per the laid down procedure of certain fixed speed limit of each section, maximum speed limit of the train on this section cannot be more than 110 km per hour.

Parminder Singh, a passenger, who was travelling to Asansol in West Bengal, said, the new look train with more comfortable features would be of immense help in long travel.

Ashok Salaria, a senior railway official, said, the LHB coaches were liked for riding comfort, end-to-end power generation and many other features from conventional coaches. He said two power generator cars were also fixed with the train.

He added that W87 engine would draw the power from head on generation as it was very economical with say for example Rs 6 per unit power cost. Power generation from generator cars cost about Rs 22 per unit. He stated that once the electrification of entire route was over, a power generation car will be removed from the train.

Power for the coaches will be supplied from overhead lines, which will then be distributed to the coaches for train lighting, air conditioning, fans and other equipment that runs on the electrical power supply.

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The LHB coaches were introduced in the country after the technology transfer for the same was achieved with Germany in 1998. These coaches are preferred for their better safety design, big windows and lighting arrangements.

Aesthetically pleasing interiors, LED lighting to improve illumination, high quality public address system with pleasant music were also added to provide soothing environment to passengers.