Kapurthala, Punjab: The Rail Coach Factory (RCF) at Kapurthala is set to roll out its first 20-coach Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) broad-gauge rake destined for Bangladesh Railway, the Ministry of Railways said on Tuesday. The coaches form part of a contract placed through RITES in 2024 for a total of 200 broad-gauge passenger coaches.
Coach composition and design features
The 20-coach trainset being assembled at the Kapurthala unit will include:
- 3 AC sleeper cars
- 3 AC chair cars
- 12 non-AC chair cars
- 2 power cars
According to the Ministry, the LHB coaches are selected for their higher safety standards, improved operational efficiency and lower maintenance requirements. Several design modifications and new features have been incorporated in these coaches; some of these changes are being introduced for the first time on LHB-type stock.
Delivery schedule and broader supply plan
Bangladesh Railway earlier informed its Parliament that the country will induct 200 broad-gauge coaches from India between June 2026 and December 2027. RITES has overseen the contract and supply arrangements.
RITES Limited has prior export experience with Bangladesh Railway. The company previously supplied 120 broad-gauge LHB passenger coaches, along with 36 broad-gauge locomotives and 10 metre-gauge locomotives, and has been involved in other rail infrastructure collaborations between the two countries.
| Item | Number |
|---|---|
| Coaches in current rake | 20 |
| AC sleeper cars | 3 |
| AC chair cars | 3 |
| Non-AC chair cars | 12 |
| Power cars | 2 |
Production ramp-up and expectations
RITES’ leadership has indicated plans to accelerate deliveries after the first rake is dispatched from Kapurthala. In May, the company’s chairman and managing director outlined targets to step up rolling stock supply within the current financial year.
“Once the first rake goes, we should be able to maximize as many rakes, with gaps of at least three-four rakes minimum in this FY. We are trying to step it up, the production rate will increase after the delivery of the first rake,” said RITES CMD Rahul Mithal in May.
Local industry observers in Kapurthala say the assignment underscores the factory’s capacity to meet complex export specifications and could support higher utilisation at the plant, with potential ripple effects on ancillary vendors and skilled labour employed in coach-building activities.
Local and regional impact
RCF Kapurthala is a major industrial unit in Punjab’s rail manufacturing ecosystem. Deliveries for export orders typically involve coordination across multiple suppliers for interiors, electrical systems, bogies and fittings. Higher production targets can translate into more orders for regional suppliers and temporary boosts in employment.
For Bangladesh Railway, the LHB coaches offer improvements in passenger comfort and operational reliability compared with older designs. The broad-gauge stock complements previous consignments of locomotives and coaches supplied by Indian firms under bilateral cooperation frameworks.
With the first 20-coach rake nearing completion, officials at RCF and RITES will focus on final trials, quality checks and logistical arrangements to dispatch the trainset to Bangladesh in line with the schedule agreed under the 2024 contract.
Further deliveries under the 200-coach contract are expected to follow through the remainder of the supply window ending December 2027, subject to production pacing and bilateral transit arrangements.
Reporting from Kapurthala on the industrial developments in Punjab.— Gurpreet Kaur
