Freight Wagons
1. Definition & Purpose
Freight wagons (also called goods wagons in IR terminology) are un-powered railway vehicles designed exclusively for the carriage of commodities—solid, liquid or gaseous—rather than passengers. They constitute ~42 % of the Indian Railways rolling stock fleet and generate >65 % of IR’s revenues.
2. Broad Classification (UIC + IR)
| Class | IR Code | Typical use | Axle load | Max. gross (t) | Tare (t) | Pay (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | BOXN, BOST etc. | Covered wagons | 20.3 t | 80.0 | 23.5 | 56.5 |
| B | BCN/BCNA | Covered hopper (cement/fertiliser) | 20.3 t | 80.0 | 25.0 | 55.0 |
| C | CRT, CRTA | Open hopper (coal) | 22.9 t | 90.0 | 26.0 | 64.0 |
| D | BOXNHL, BOSTHS | High-sided open | 22.9 t | 90.0 | 25.2 | 64.8 |
| E | BTPN, BTFLN | Tank wagons (petrol, LPG, milk) | 20.3 t | 80.0 | 28–35 | 45–52 |
| F | BOBR, BOBRN | Rapid-discharge hopper | 22.9 t | 90.0 | 28.0 | 62.0 |
| G | BLC, BLLC | Container flats | 22.9 t | 90.0 | 20.0 | 70.0 |
| H | BRS, BRNA | Flat well (steel coil) | 22.9 t | 90.0 | 22.0 | 68.0 |
| K | BFKI, BFKH | BFNV – 25 t axle (DFC-ready) | 25.0 t | 100.0 | 26.0 | 74.0 |
3. Coding System (Indian Railways)
Wagon nomenclature = 4-letter alpha code + 4-digit number
Letter-1 : Ownership (B = IR departmental)
Letter-2 : Wagon type (O = open, C = covered, T = tank, R = flat, L = loco-braked, P = high-speed air-brake etc.)
Letter-3 : Subtype (X = high-sided, N = air-braked, A = aluminium, H = heavy-duty, M = middle discharge)
Letter-4 : Version (L = low tare, S = stainless, C = CASNUB bogie, K = 25 t axle)
Examples
BOXN → B O X N → departmental, open, high-sided, air-brake
BTPH → B T P H → departmental, tank, petroleum, heavy 25 t axle
BLC → B L C → departmental, flat, container, CASNUB
4. Important Freight Wagon Models – Technical Snapshot
| Wagon | Year intro | Bogie | Brakes | Length (mm) | Payload (t) | Vol (m³) | Key feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOXN | 1980 | UIC | Air | 10 731 | 58.2 | 55.7 | Work-horse coal wagon |
| BOXNHS | 2003 | HS CASNUB | Air | 10 731 | 64.8 | 55.7 | Stainless, 22.9 t axle |
| BOBRN | 1986 | CASNUB | Air | 10 731 | 62 | 45 | Bottom discharge coal to plant |
| BCNHL | 2001 | CASNUB | Air | 12 192 | 56.2 | 84.2 | Cement, roof hatch + fluidising |
| BTPN | 1995 | DVS | Air | 9 550 | 52 | 78 kl | Petrol, 4 compartments |
| BTFLN | 2012 | K type | Air | 15 240 | 66 | 1 02 kl | 25 t axle, 6-comp, stainless |
| BLC | 2004 | Y-25 | Air | 18 240 | 70 TEU* | — | Double-stack 2×20′ or 1×40′ |
| BLLC | 2019 | Y-25 | Air | 22 000 | 70 | — | 45′ long, 1×45′ HC container |
*TEU = Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit
5. Evolution / Historical Milestones
- 1854 – First goods train (Bombay–Thane) hauled 3 four-wheel open wagons (3 t each).
- 1955 – Adoption of vacuum brake; 4-wheel wagons dominated (axle load 10–12 t).
- 1967 – First 8-wheel two-bogie open wagon “BOX” (payload 45 t).
- 1976 – CASNUB bogie designed by CLW; permitted 20.3 t axle.
- 1980 – BOXN (air-brake) introduced; vacuum brake phase-out begins.
- 1986 – BOBRN rapid-discharge hopper for NTPC power plants.
- 1992 – BTPN stainless tank for POL traffic; leak-proof bottom outlet.
- 2001 – BCNHL high-capacity cement wagon – first use of aluminium roof.
- 2006 – Stainless steel procurement policy adopted → corrosion resistance ↑ life 35→45 yr.
- 2010 – RDSO upgrades to 22.9 t axle (90 t gross) on key routes.
- 2016 – DFCCIL orders 25 t axle wagons (100 t gross) for DFC.
- 2020 – Roll-out of 1 600 mm inside-width “BFKI” wagons → 4 % extra coal volume.
- 2022 – First 25 t aluminium-body BOBRNAL trial – tare ↓ 1.8 t, payload ↑ 2 t.
6. Salient Specifications (2023)
- Standard track gauge : 1 676 mm
- Maximum permitted axle load : 25 t (DFC); 22.9 t (Golden Quadrilateral); 20.3 t (branch lines)
- Coupler : CBC (AAR-“E” type) + SA-3 auxiliary; transition being made to H-type high-tensile.
- Brake system : Twin-pipe air-brake (5 kg/cm²) with CRBS/KE distributor valve; gradual replacement of single-pipe.
- Bogie : CASNUB 22 HS most common; new designs—LR-22, DVS-8, Y-25.
- Side frame material : Cast steel Grade-B; some stainless.
- Floor plate thickness : 6 mm MS for open wagons; 4 mm SS for tanks.
- Painting : Epoxy-polyamide primer + alkyd finish; colour—freight brown (No. 352) except tank (grey 631) & container (owner colour).
- Coding number range : 4000-6999 (BCNA), 7000-7999 (BOXN), 9000-9399 (BTPN), 9500-9799 (BOBRN).
- Wagon census 2022 : Total 3 01 248 wagons; composition—Open 46 %, Covered 13 %, Tank 8 %, Flat 22 %, Hopper 11 %.
7. Recent Initiatives & Upgrades
- Mission 3000 kg – RDSO target to raise payload by 3 t per wagon through:
- 25 t axle induction
- Light-weight stainless & aluminium alloy bodies
- Low-friction CASNUB-23HS bogie with constant-contact side-bearers.
- Automatic Rapid Loading Systems (ARLS) installed at 42 sidings → 4 000 t train loading in 90 min.
- Smart Wagons – RFID tags (ASTS) mandatory since 2021; 2 40 000 tags fitted.
- Roller Bearing Conversion – 100 % completed; plain bearing extinct after 2010.
- CNG/LNG dual-fuel trials on DFC for empty haulage (fuel cost ↓ 18 %).
- Dedicated Freight Corridor (E & W) – Only 25 t axle, 1 000 m loop; 12 000 t gross trains (120 wagons).
- Policy – “Right tare to right load” – Wagon design approval contingent on payload-to-tare ratio ≥ 2.6.
- Green certification – 30 000 stainless BOXNHS wagons certified by CII for 40 % CO₂ saving over life cycle.
8. Comparison: Indian vs Global Practices
| Parameter | India (IR) | USA/Canada | China |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axle load | 25 t (DFC) | 32.5–35 t | 27–30 t |
| Gross per wagon | 100 t | 130 t | 105 t |
| Train length | 750 m (NR) | 3 500 m | 1 000 m |
| Coupler | CBC + SA-3 | AAR-E (knuckle) | Type-17 |
| Aluminium usage | 5 % | 70 % | 15 % |
9. 15+ MCQs for Railway Exams
Click to expand MCQs with answers
Q1. The first bogie open wagon introduced by Indian Railways was
(a) BOX (b) BCN (c) BOI (d) BTP
Ans. (a)
Q2. What does the letter ‘X’ denote in BOXN wagon code?
(a) Extra high speed (b) High-sided open (c) Stainless steel (d) Vacuum brake
Ans. (b)
Q3. Maximum axle load permitted on Dedicated Freight Corridor is
(a) 20.3 t (b) 22.9 t (c) 25.0 t (d) 30.5 t
Ans. (c)
Q4. Which of the following wagons is used for bottom-discharge of coal?
(a) BCN (b) BOBRN (c) BTPN (d) CRT
Ans. (b)
Q5. The colour code for general-purpose freight wagons as per IR specification is
(a) Red (b) Freight brown (c) Blue (d) Yellow
Ans. (b)
Q6. CASNUB bogie was originally designed at
(a) ICF (b) CLW (c) RDSO (d) DMW
Ans. (c)
Q7. BLC type wagon is basically a
(a) Cement hopper (b) Container flat (c) Tank wagon (d) Covered van
Ans. (b)
Q8. Pay-load-to-tare ratio for an ideal freight wagon according to IR policy should be at least
(a) 1.5 (b) 2.0 (c) 2.6 (d) 3.0
Ans. (c)
Q9. Which stainless steel grade is commonly used for tank wagons?
(a) SS 202 (b) SS 304 (c) SS 409 (d) SS 410
Ans. (b)
Q10. RFID tag used on wagons is known as
(a) AAR tag (b) ASTS tag (c) RFID-G tag (d) IR-Tag
Ans. (b)
Q11. The air-brake system working pressure in IR freight stock is
(a) 3 kg/cm² (b) 5 kg/cm² (c) 6 kg/cm² (d) 10 kg/cm²
Ans. (b)
Q12. Which of the following is NOT a type of hopper wagon?
(a) BOBRN (b) BCNHL (c) BTPN (d) CRT
Ans. (c)
Q13. Transition from vacuum brake to air brake for freight wagons started in
(a) 1960s (b) 1975 (c) 1980 (d) 1995
Ans. (c)
Q14. The maximum gross load of a 25 t axle 4-axle wagon is about
(a) 80 t (b) 90 t (c) 100 t (d) 130 t
Ans. (c)
Q15. “Mission 3000 kg” aims to increase wagon payload by
(a) 1 t (b) 2 t (c) 3 t (d) 5 t
Ans. (c)
Q16. Which wagon was first trial-led with aluminium body in 2022?
(a) BOXNHS (b) BOBRNAL (c) BCNHL (d) BTPN
Ans. (b)
Q17. As per 2022 census, approximately what percentage of IR wagons are open-type?
(a) 22 % (b) 35 % (c) 46 % (d) 60 %
Ans. (c)
10. Key Take-aways for Exams
- BOXN & BOBRN are the backbone for coal; BCNHL for cement; BTPN/BTFLN for POL.
- 25 t axle, stainless steel, air-brake, CASNUB-23HS bogie – features of next-gen wagons.
- DFC mandates 25 t axle, 1 000 m train, 12 000 t trailing load.
- RFID (ASTS) gives real-time wagon identity → reduced detention.
- Pay-to-tare ratio ≥ 2.6 is design benchmark.
BETA
