A recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report had indicted the Railways for an increasing number of coaches falling sick within three months of the periodic overhaul thereby indicating poor quality attention in the workshop.

The ministry has held that the word `sick' is used in the Railways to describe any coach which need to be detached for attention at the depot repair facility called `sick line'.

Sick marking of coaches is a normal part of maintenance and the causes of marking coaches sick are regularly analysed as an aid to the management to detect any adverse trends arising out of poor quality of workmanship, design or material. According to the ministry, the decrease in number of sick coaches has been possible through efforts and close monitoring by the Railways.

A new parameter of coaches marked `sick' within 100 days from the periodic overhaul was devised in 1996-97 to monitor the relative quality of work at different workshops.

The ministry pointed out that the improvement in reliability was also evident from reduction in enroute coach detachments which have come down from 361 cases in 1996-97 to 197 during 1998-99 in spite of increased number of trains. Moreover, the Railways have been able to constantly maintain availability above the prescribed 90 per cent level.

These improvements include greater attention to coaches, particularly at workshops. It is claimed that regular action is being taken to improve the weak spots revealed during analysis at both manufacturing and repairs facilities.

Coach production units are being asked to conduct periodic quality checks and get ISO certification. Officials claim that quality audits of periodic overhauling workshops and maintenance depots are also being conducted.

Strict control on the quality of output from coach factories and periodic ovehauling of workshops through a system of neutral examiners is being encouraged.

Among other steps, which the Railways feel will help in arresting increase in number of sick coaches, are: review and improvements of existing coach maintenance infrastructure and provision of new facilities for additional trains; design improvements and introduction of better material to improve reliability of coaches, like bogie mounted braked, composite brake blocks, high capacity couplings, etc.; and broadband analysis of reliability parameters to identify weak systems, depots, workshops, direct efforts and resources eliminate the system.

The Railways are also in the midst of coach technology upgradation through induction of state-of-art coaches and transfer of technology of their design and manufacture. They recently inducted new air-conditioned coach manufactured by Alstom. Under the deal, the German company will also transfer technology for coaches.