| Integral Coach Factory (ICF) coach | |
|---|---|
   ICF coaches in various paint schemes | |
| Designer | Swiss Cars and Elevator Manufacturing Co. Integral Coach Factory |
| Built at | |
| Constructed | 1955–2018 |
| Number built | 54,000+ |
| Successor | LHB coach (IR) 7A-2000 coaches [ja] (PNR) |
| Operators | |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Stainless steel andWeathering steel |
| Car length | 22,297 mm (73 ft 1.8 in) overbuffers |
| Width | 3,245 mm (10 ft 7.8 in) |
| Height | 4,025 mm (13 ft 2.5 in) |
| Floor height | 1,313 mm (4 ft 3.7 in) |
| Wheelbase | 14,783 mm (48 ft 6.0 in) |
| Maximum speed | 110–140 km/h (68–87 mph)[a] |
| Bogies | ICF Bogies |
| Minimum turning radius | 152.4 m (500 ft) |
| Coupling system | Buffers and chain coupler,Knuckle coupler |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
TheIntegral Coach Factory (ICF)coach is a conventionalpassenger rail coach developed and manufactured by the Indian state ownedIntegral Coach Factory inChennai. First manufactured in 1955, it was extensively used by theIndian Railways till the late 1990s.[4] When the production ceased in 2018, more than 54,000 coaches had been produced including exports to other countries.[5]
The coach design was developed byIntegral Coach Factory (ICF) inPerambur,Chennai in collaboration with theSwiss Car and Elevator Manufacturing Co. fromSchlieren in Switzerland.[6] An Indian delegation made initial contacts with the Swiss manufacturer at a railway congress inLucerne in 1947. In therailway budget for 1949–50, theIndian government announced the intention to establish a railway coach factory in India.[7] In 1949, a technical agreement was concluded with the Swiss based company for technical assistance and transfer of coach building technology.[8] A basicsteel shell was designed as aprototype by the Swiss company which formed the basis of the ICF coaches manufactured in the new facility.[9][10][11] The factory rolled out the first ICF coach on 2 October 1955.[12][13] The last ICF coach was flagged off on 19 January 2018.[14] By the time the production ceased in 2018, ICF had manufactured more than 54,000 coaches.[5]
In April 2018, the Indian Railways launched a refurbishment programme calledUtkrisht (excellence) to refurbish and modernise ICF coaches in 640 rakes at a cost of₹4 billion (equivalent to₹11 billion or US$130 million in 2023). The refurbishment included a newbeige andmaroon paint scheme, installation ofLED fixtures,bio-toilets, assistivebraille signage, and improved trash disposal.[15][16] Some of the ICF coaches were converted into accident relief vans and automobile carrier rakes.[17]
The ICF coach was extensively used by theIndian Railways till the late 1990s. The ICF coaches were gradually replaced byLHB coaches designed byLinke-Hofmann-Busch ofGermany.[18][19] About 601 coaches were exported to countries such asTaiwan,Zambia,Tanzania,Uganda,Vietnam,Nigeria,Bangladesh,Mozambique,Angola andSri Lanka.[20]Philippine National Railways had 60 ICF coaches delivered between 1975 and 1979, and withdrew the last of its ICF coaches from service in 2009.[4][20]
The ICF coaches were painted with a brick red livery since their introduction in 1955. They were repainted blue in the 1990s, and in beige and red since 2018.[21]
Select classes of trains such asRajdhani,Shatabdi,Garib Rath andDuronto used ICF coaches with special paint schemes.
Since its inception in 1955, the ICF has been running on technology from Switzerland's Swiss Cars and Elevators Manufacturing and Germany's Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB)
Inaugurated by the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955, ICF, as it is popularly called, has been producing several coaches...
