The Indian Railways is bringing a development in its coaches by replacing older ICF (Integral Coach Factory) coaches and replacing them with modern LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) coaches. The latter are modern coaches with stainless steel design from Germany that are manufactured in India.
Indian Railways to equip THESE 16 trains with advanced LHB coaches
The Indian Railways is bringing a development in its coaches by replacing older ICF (Integral Coach Factory) coaches and replacing them with modern LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) coaches. The latter are modern coaches with stainless steel design from Germany that are manufactured in India.
The trains will be equipped with LHB coaches from January 2026.
What features does LHB coach have?
These coaches are equipped with improved safety features like anti-climbing devices and fire-resistant materials with a higher operating speed of 160 kmph, and a design speed of up to 200 kmph than the older 140 kmph ICF coaches.
The LHB coaches come with many other advantages like it has a longer coach which creates more space, seats that provide better passenger comfort, LED lighting, 5-pin charging sockets and disc brakes for efficient braking. Another safety feature includes four emergency openable windows for quicker evacuation and an Emergency Light Unit (ELU) with a 6-hour backup.
The Central Railway (CR) zone has decided to replace conventional coaches with new LHB coaches, specifically eight trains, on a permanent basis to provide enhanced safety and passenger experience. These trains are:
Train name/number
Start from
22157
CSMT – Chennai Express
14.01.2026
22158
Chennai – CSMT Express
17.01.2026
11088
Pune – Veraval Express
15.01.2026
11087
Veraval – Pune Express
17.01.2026
11090
Pune – Bhagat ki Kothi Express
18.01.2026
11089
Bhagat ki Kothi – Pune Express
20.01.2026
11092
Pune – Bhuj Express
19.01.2026
11091
Bhuj – Pune Express
21.01.2026
22186
Pune – Ahmedabad Express
21.01.2026
22185
Ahmedabad – Pune Express
22.01.2026
11404
Kolhapur – Nagpur Express
19.01.2026
11403
Nagpur – Kolhapur Express
20.01.2026
12147
Kolhapur – Hazrat Nizamuddin Express
20.01.2026
12148
Hazrat Nizamuddin – Kolhapur Express
22.01.2026
11050
Kolhapur – Ahmedabad Express
24.01.2026
11049
Ahmedabad – Kolhapur Express
25.01.2026
