Perambur coach factory to increase capacity

The production capacity of Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur is likely to be increased from the present 1100 coaches to 1250 coaches by 2008-09, with projects worth Rs 120 crore already in progress.

Announcing this on the sidelines of the flagging off of the self propelled Jet Deflector Crane Car (JDCC), indigenously developed by ICF, Union minister of state for Railways, R Velu said that the ICF is targeting a production of 1093 coaches this year, out of which, 580 coaches have already been produced.

"JDCC is a specialised self-propelled vehicle to be used by the Indian military for launching missiles in strategic areas. The finalisation for this vehicle took nearly three years and we had bagged the order for producing four such vehicles at a total cost of Rs 6.4 crore," Velu added.

ICF's projects in the pipeline include producing 14 kitchen cars at a cost of Rs 9.6 crore by March 2006, and exporting coaches worth Rs 55.5 crore to Angola Railways.

ICF also plans to manufacture stainless steel coaches for aesthetic and anti-corrosion purposes and machinery and plant programme within three years, he added.