The special high-speed coaches -- certified to run at 140 km per hour -- have been designed and manufactured at the RCF in collaboration with the Research, Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow. One Swarna Shatabdi, comprising the special IRY coaches, was launched between New Delhi and Amritsar by Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar on August 15 last. He had promised another one for Chandigarh.

An official at the RCF said manufacturing of IRY coaches for the second Swarna Shatabdi will start soon. At present, the factory is busy making special Mobile Accident Relief Trains. Five of these Mobile Accident Relief Trains recommended after the Ferozabad train tragedy in 1995 -- are being manufactured in the countryfor the first time. The RCF got the order for the relief trains last year, General Manager V P Ojha said.

The relief trains comprise two coaches and two diesel engines made by Kirloskar. They will be equipped with first-aid equipment and oxygen cylinders. Built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore, the relief trains can travel at a speed of 120 km per hour and will be stationed at strategic locations from where they can be rushed to an accident site.

The first relief train is likely to be stationed at Ambala to cater to the Delhi-Ambala-Kalka section. The others are to be put at the disposal of the South-Central Railway with one for Northern Railway. One relief train was ready for trial on the Ferozepur-Jallandhar line, RCF officials said.

Ojha said they were ready to manufacture any kind of coach at the RCF. ``We are already manufacturing 23 different types of coaches and have the capacity and design capability for more,'' he said. At present, the RCF manufactures 1,075-1,100 coaches every year.

He added thatthey could manufacture more ``but I am keeping some capacity up my sleeve for purposes of export and for the metro-coaches.'' The RCF, he said, was ready to export coaches but was approaching the world market through Rites and not directly. They had already received some queries, he added. Ojha said the factory had the potential to enhance its capacity even further. ``For this, we have requested the Railways to start furnishing the coaches on their own. Then we can concentrate on increasing the capacity. That is why we chose not to manufacture all components in-house.''

This would have the additional advantage of providing employment in small-scale industries in and around Punjab. The Northern Railway Mechanical Woprkshop at Amritsar is one such factory established in 1901.

The workshop is manufacturing Integral Coach Factory (ICF)-designed bogie frames for the RCF along with specialised ancillary components like the pivot, roll bar and forks for the IRY Swarna Shatabdi coaches. Deputy Chief MechanicalEngineer of the workshop, R K Sharma, said the workshop was also manufacturing bogies, wagons and breakdown cranes for Northern Railway. The cranes help to clear the tracks following accidents. The Ministry of Railways, he added, had promised special budgetary support to modernise the Amritsar workshop.