Coach Types
Coach Types – Complete Railway GK for RRB & RPF Exams
1. Overview
Indian Railways (IR) classifies its passenger rolling stock as “coaches” (self-contained passenger cars) and “wagons” (freight cars).
Coaches are built to IRS (Indian Railways Standard) or RDSO specifications, coded by a three-letter classification followed by a 5-digit or 6-digit number.
The first letter denotes class, the second design, the third prototype/model.
2. Coach Classification System (Three-Letter Code)
| 1st letter (Class) | 2nd letter (Design) | 3rd letter (Model) |
|---|---|---|
| A = AC 1-Tier | B = Broad-gauge | C = Conventional ICF |
| B = AC 2-Tier | N = Narrow-gauge | R = Revised ICF |
| C = AC Chair Car | M = Meter-gauge | A = Air-spring |
| D = AC 3-Tier | – | W = Stainless-steel LHB |
| E = Executive Chair | – | S / T / P = Special |
| F = AC First cum 2-Tier | – | V = Vistadome |
| G = 2nd Class (reserved) | – | – |
| H = 2nd Class (unreserved) | – | – |
| J = 3rd AC Economy | – | – |
| K = Brake & Generator | – | – |
| L = Ladies | – | – |
| M = Mail/Parcel | – | – |
| P = Pantry | – | – |
| R = RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) | – | – |
| S = Sleeper | – | – |
| T = Tourist | – | – |
| U = Unreserved | – | – |
| V = Vista-Dome | – | – |
| W = End-on-Generator | – | – |
| X = SLR (Seating-cum-Luggage Rake) | – | – |
| Y = Defence | – | – |
Examples
- BCW = AC 2-Tier, Broad-gauge, LHB stainless-steel
- SLR = Second-class-cum-Luggage-cum-Brake van, Conventional ICF
- EOG = End-on-Generator car (power car for Rajdhani/Shatabdi)
3. ICF vs LHB – Key Technical Differences
| Parameter | ICF (Integral Coach Factory) | LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Indigenous, Perambur, 1955 | Technology transfer from Alstom-LHB, Germany, 1999 |
| Shell material | Mild steel (Corten) | Stainless steel (AISI 301) |
| Max. speed certified | 110 km/h (occasionally 130 km/h with retrofit) | 160 km/h (180 km/h trial) |
| Length / coach | 22.3 m | 23.5 m |
| Tare weight | 39–43 t | 39–41 t (lighter shell) |
| Passenger capacity | Lower | +15 % higher |
| Ride quality | Primary & secondary coil springs | Air springs + FIAT bogies → superior |
| Safety | Buffer-coupling, prone to climbing | Centre-buffer-coupler, anti-climb |
| Corrosion life | ~25 years | >35 years |
| Maintenance interval | 3,500 km / 30 days | 7,500 km / 60 days |
Policy: Since 2018–19, all new passenger coaches must be LHB design (except Vistadome & special projects).
Mission Retro-ICF: 42,000 ICF coaches to be retro-fitted with 160 km/h capable bogies & couplers by 2030.
4. Class-wise Salient Features & Capacity
| Coach type | Layout | Seat/Berth nos. | Colour marker light | Fare (base) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1A (AC First) | 4 berth cabins + 2 berth coupe | 18–24 | Blue | 4× SL |
| 2A (AC 2-Tier) | 4 berths per bay, side upper/lower | 46–54 | Blue | 3× SL |
| 3A (AC 3-Tier) | 6 berths per bay | 64–72 | Blue | 2× SL |
| 3E (AC 3-Tier Economy) | 3×3 side bays, 83 berths | 83 | Blue | 1.6× SL |
| EC (Executive Chair) | 2×2 aircraft type | 44 | Blue | 3A+ |
| CC (AC Chair) | 3×2 | 73 | Blue | 1.8× SL |
| SL (Sleeper) | 8 per bay | 72 | Red | Base |
| GS (General 2nd) | Bench 3×3 | 90–108 | Green | Lowest |
| EOG/POH | Power car, no passengers | – | Yellow | – |
Colour lamp code on night (last 2 coaches)
- Blue = Air-conditioned rake
- Red = Non-AC rake
- Green = Pure unreserved rake
- Yellow = Mail/express with brake van
5. Special Coach Variants
-
Vistadome (V)
- LHB based, wide-angle curved polycarbonate roof, 360° viewing.
- First route: Kalka-Shimla (2017); Araku Valley, Kashmir, Konkan, etc.
- 44 recliner seats, GPS-based audio guide, mini-pantry.
-
Tejas (semi-high speed, 160 km/h)
- All LHB; features: on-board Wi-Fi, coffee-vending, automatic doors, fire suppression.
-
Humsafar (premium 3A)
- LHB; modular bio-toilets, CCTV, fire & smoke detection, LED lighting, side-curtain berths.
-
Antyodaya (unreserved super-dense)
- ICF shell but LHB bogies; 100+ standing capacity, bottle crushers, water vending.
-
Double-Decker
- AC chair car; 120 seat capacity; operates Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Chennai-Bangalore, Visakhapatnam-Tirupati.
- Stainless steel, 160 km/h cleared.
-
Garib Rath
- Full AC (3A & CC) at 2/3 fare; 72 berths in 3A (extra middle berth); ICF shell but air-spring retro-bogie.
6. Historical Milestones
- 1853 – First passenger carriage (4-wheel) hauled on Mumbai-Thane.
- 1955 – Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur set up with Swiss Car & Elevator Co. tech.
- 1965–70 – Switch from 4-wheel to bogie coaches; introduction of “IRS” design.
- 1974 – First AC 3-tier coach built.
- 1993–94 – Adoption of anti-telescopic ICF design (CBC coupling optional).
- 1999 – First LHB coach flagged in (Rajdhani Express).
- 2016 – Roll-on/roll-off (RORO) service introduced for trucks on flat wagons (Konkan).
- 2018 – Indian Railways decides “No more ICF production for mail/express”.
- 2021 – 1st stainless-steel Vistadome coach exported to Mozambique.
- 2022 – Trial of “Vande-Metro” (self-propelled EMU version of LHB) for 200 km/h.
7. Production & Overhaul Units
| Unit | Location | Product |
|---|---|---|
| ICF | Chennai | LHB, EMU, DEMU, Vistadome |
| RCF | Kapurthala | LHB, MEMU, DEMU |
| BEML | Bengaluru | LHB shells, metro cars |
| Rail Coach Factory – Sonipat (RCF-S) | Haryana | Dedicated LHB (2021) |
| COFMOW | Jhansi | Overhaul & mid-life re-build (POH) |
POH periodicity
- ICF coaches: 18 months / 3,500 km
- LHB coaches: 24 months / 7,500 km
- EMU/MEMU: 18 months / 300,000 km
8. Recent Updates (2023-24)
- Mission 100 % LHB – Only 8,000 ICF coaches left in mail/express pool; target to convert or retire by 2026.
- Kavach – Automatic train protection; all new LHB coaches come factory-fitted with antennas & brake interface.
- Vande Bharat (Train-18) – 2nd generation stainless steel, 160 km/h operational, 180 km/h trial; 46 rakes inducted.
- Amrit Bharat (push-pull) – Modified ICF non-AC coaches with LHB bogies, semi-permanent couplers, 130 km/h cleared; launched 2023 (Asansol-Tatanagar).
- Green Toilet 2.0 – 100 % bio-toilets, 0-discharge vacuum toilets on LHB; target 2025.
- Tejas Sleeper – Under development; will replace Rajdhani rakes with 200 km/h capability.
9. Rapid-Fire Facts for Exams
- Largest producer: ICF Chennai (55 coaches/month).
- Heaviest coach: EOG (End-on-Generator) ~52 t.
- Longest route with pure LHB: Thiruvananthapuram–Guwahati (3,750 km).
- First Vistadome on broad gauge: Visakhapatnam-Araku (2018).
- Colour of curtains: 1A–Maroon, 2A–Blue, 3A–Green (no official rule, but exam-setters ask).
- Maximum permissible overhang: 1,650 mm (LHB).
- Brake system: twin-pipe graduated release, 5 kg/cm².
- Coupling height: 1,103 mm ± 3 mm (LHB CBC).
- Coach numbering: 5-digit for ICF era, 6-digit for post-2018 LHB (first digit 0/8/9).
- RDSO stands: Research Designs & Standards Organisation (Lucknow).
10. Practice MCQs
1. Which letter in coach code indicates stainless-steel LHB design?
Answer: W (third letter)
2. The maximum speed certified for LHB coach is
Answer: 160 km/h (option 180 km/h in trial but not yet certified)
3. ICF coaches use which type of coupling?
Answer: Buffer and screw coupling (occasionally CBC retro)
4. Which of the following is NOT an air-conditioned class?
Answer: GS (General Second class)
5. The colour of the tail lamp for a pure AC rake is
Answer: Blue
6. First LHB coach was introduced in India in the year
Answer: 1999
7. Which coach type has the highest passenger capacity per coach?
Answer: Antyodaya (unreserved, 100+ standing)
8. The tare weight of an LHB coach is approximately
Answer: 39–41 tonnes
9. Vistadome coaches are identified by which 3rd letter?
Answer: V
10. POH interval for LHB coach is
Answer: 24 months / 7,500 km
11. Which factory was set up in 2019 exclusively for LHB production in Haryana?
Answer: Rail Coach Factory – Sonipat
12. Garib Rath coaches have which additional feature in 3A bays?
Answer: Middle berth (total 72 berths)
13. The stainless steel grade used in LHB shell is
Answer: AISI 301
14. Which of the following is a correct code for AC 3-Tier LHB coach?
Answer: BDW (B=2/3-tier, D=broad-gauge, W=LHB)
15. Mission Retro-ICF aims to upgrade ICF coaches to run at
Answer: 160 km/h
16. The automatic train protection system fitted on new LHB coaches is called
Answer: Kavach
17. Which special coach is exported by Indian Railways to African countries?
Answer: Vistadome
Last revision: June 2024 | Source: RDSO, IRCA, Railway Board circulars
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