THE Integral Coach Factory (ICF), which started its journey on the road to self-reliance 50 years ago, has reinvented itself over the last decade. Once it epitomised the spirit of self-reliance and reflected the hopes of newly independent India.
About Integral Coach Factory :
Started in 1952, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) is located in Chennai, India. Its primary products are rail coaches. Most of the coaches manufactured are supplied to the Indian Railways, but it has also manufactured coaches for railway companies in other countries, including Thailand, Burma, Taiwan, Zambia, Philippines, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Nigeria, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Angola and Sri Lanka. The coach factory provides primarily for the Indian Railways, a number of different coaches – first and second class coaches, pantry and kitchen cars, luggage and brake vans, self propelled coaches, electric, diesel and mainline electric multiple units (EMU, DMU, MEMU), metro coaches and Diesel Electric Tower Cars (DETC), Accident Relief Medical Vans (ARMV), Inspection Cars (RA), Fuel Test Cars, Track Recording Cars, the latest coaches are for the Deccan Odyssey (a luxury train of the Indian Railways), and coaches for MRVC (world class coaches). However the air-conditioned train-sets manufactured by ICF for Kolkata Metro have repeatedly broken down causing disruption of services causing immense problem to commuters. According to newspaper reports the air-conditioned rakes have been sent to Kolkata without conducting dry runs because the Integral Coach Factory does not have third rail testing facilities.
The Metro authorities have told ICF that they will not take delivery of any more AC rakes, unless the 72 defects identified by them till now were rectified. These defects were detected after operating the five AC rakes the Metro has received from ICF so far.Of the 72 defects detected in the AC rakes, major ones are ~ fragile pneumatic pipes used in the braking system that often result in brake-binding; use of low-capacity inverters that are failing to provide adequate power back-up to the air-conditioning apparatus inside the rakes and the problem of “no-motoring” in which a rake does not get traction to move forward.
Features Of Integral Coach Factory In chennai :
Integral Coach Factory, Chennai-600038, is a premier Production Unit of Indian Railways manufacturing railway passenger coaches. ICF is the first of its kind to be established after Independence for the manufacture of light weight, all steel and all welded Integral railway passenger coaches. The factory was set up in 1955 with Swiss collaboration.
As milestones in this endless travel, ICF has obtained the ISO: 9001, ISO: 14001, ISO: 18001 and Golden Peacock Eco-Innovation Award-2012 certificates for the QMS, EMS and OHSAS systems respectively.
All this has been made possible through ICF’s commitment to progress and improvement with its dedicated workforce functioning in a contented atmosphere in pleasant surroundings and working conditions. Several welfare schemes like staff quarters, adequate clean water supply, improved medical facilities, online information kiosks, issue of pass centrally, encouragement in sports activities, etc., are provided.
History Integral Coach Factory In chennai :
The business started in 2 October 1955, the first items produced being seven third class shells. Today the coach factory produces more than 170 varieties of coach. It employs about 13,000 people and produces around six coaches a day. A total of 43,551 coaches had been produced till July 2011 by ICF since its inception. ICF had churned out 1,503 coaches in 2010, which was an all time record production.
Structure of the organization :
The Integral Coach Factory consists of two main divisions – Shell division and Furnishing division. The Shell division manufactures the skeleton of the rail coach, while the Furnishing division is concerned with the coach interiors and amenities. An ancillary unit to the Integral Coach Factory is being built in Haldia, West Bengal for furnishing diesel multiple units. Regional Railway Museum (Chennai) is situated in the factory premise. It has a collection of nascent models of trains and models endemic to the Indian Railways.
Developments :
A total of 59.1 million units of electricity had been generated through the windmills installed by ICF in Tirunelveli district till the end of December 2011 which met 80 per cent of its electrical energy requirements from green energy.
In August 2011, ICF has been sanctioned a project for manufacturing stainless steel coaches for the first time in the country. The 2,500 million project is for manufacturing technologically upgraded coaches of stainless steel shells and high speed bogies and an increase in capacity from 1,500 to 1,700 coaches. The new bogie facilities and shell manufacturing facilities are likely to be completed by March and August 2013, respectively.
