The Indian Railways’ Coach Rehabilitation Workshop (CRWS) Bhopal has rolled out a 110 kmph version of the NMG coach. The new variant (codenamed NMGH) will enable faster shipment of automobiles from factories to consumption centres across India.
NMG/NMGH coaches are produced by converting old Integral Coach Factory design passenger coaches. IR plans to convert 100 old ICF passenger coaches to NMGH coaches for transportation of automobiles at the Bhopal workshop.
25 NMGH coaches, making for a full rake, were rolled out by CRWS Bhopal for dispatch on 31st August 2021. The prototype NMGH coach was developed at Central Railway‘s Parel Workshop and rolled out in December 2020. RDSO then held trials of the new variant.
Improved Design of NMGH Coach Raises Capacity
The standard NMG coaches are fit for 75 kmph, the standard for older goods wagons. The new version is not just fit for 110 kmph, but also has a 30% higher carrying capacity. The standard NMG coach could carry a maximum of 9.2 tonnes. The NMGH version is fit to carry 12 tonnes per coach.
NMGH’s new design allows larger vehicles like SUVs, tractors and Tata 407 automobiles to be transported. This improves the potential market for these coaches and better utilizes the volumetric capacity of the coach. To improve lighting and ventilation in the otherwise fully packed NMG coaches, eight windows were put in the design.
Barrel type locking arrangement on the doors has replaced the old design Eldrop bolt locking arrangement found on NMGs. The new NMGH also has a new colour scheme for visual identification.
Which automobiles these are going to transport? What purpos?
These are used to transport new cars from manufacturing plant to distribution centres