Coaches catching roaches?

On one hand, we constantly crib and grumble that our Indian Railways is so bad, its coaches are so outdated and dirty. And then on the other, even after the Govt spends crores of rupee of getting new coaches, nothing gets done, except the coaches sit pretty in the yard, gathering dust and rust.

That’s the story of brand new Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches doing nothing but rotting in the yards of Southern Railway awaiting clearance of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS). These LHB are made as per German technology and are designed for an operating speed up to 160 kmph and cost about Rs. 2.5 crore each.

So why are these coaches idling away in the yard? They are awaiting clearance from the CRS and the Railway Board as some minor changes were made in the design to customise the coach for local requirements. What is strange here is that changes were made to all 30 coaches and manufactured accordingly and it is now that it will get the necessary approvals. What happens if the product is faulty?

We can only hope and pray that the Railway Minister who is supposed to be innovative and dynamic intervenes and remedy the situation urgently.