Multi-product engineering company Stone India has entered into a technical collaboration with Japan-based Sumitomo Electric Industries for manufacturing air springs to be used in the coaches of Indian Railways.Indian Railways is planning to install air springs as a technology upgradation measure to replace the existing mechanical system with pneumatic suspension, which will result in higher passenger comfort in trains running at high speed. A complete system for each coach is expected to be priced between Rs 4.75-5.5 lakh. Currently, the railways inducts more than 2,800 new coaches every year, and it also proposes to selectively upgrade its existing rolling stock of about 25,000 coaches through retrofitment of air spring and pneumatic suspension system.
