HUBBALLI: South Western Railway has converted one rake of Train Nos. 17315/17316 Vasco Da Gama-Velankanni-Vasco Da Gama Weekly Express from conventional to Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) rakes.
Dr. Manjunath Kanamadi, Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railway, Hubballi; has said that this conversion has come into effect from March 4, 2024, departing from Vasco Da Gama, and from March 5, 2024, departing from Velankanni.
The revised composition of the LHB rake for the 20 coaches will be as follows:
- AC Two-tier-1
- AC Three-tier-3
- AC Three tier economy class-3
- Sleeper Class-8
- General Second Class-3
- Luggage cum Brake-vans with Generator Car-2.
What is a LHB Coach?
The coaches are designed for an operating speed up to 160 km per hour and could go up to 200 km per hour. These rakes provide a higher passenger capacity, compared to conventional rakes as their length is 23.54 meter and a width of 3.24 meter.
In case of a collision, the LHB coaches do not get smashed through a second coach or flip (chiefly head-on). These coaches are made of stainless steel and the interiors are made of aluminum which make them lighter as compared to conventional rakes. There are many such features of LHB coaches.
