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{{short description|Rolling stock production unit under Ministry of Railways (India)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Integral Coach Factory
| logo =
| image = File:ICF building.jpg
| image_size = 270px
| image_caption = Administration building of ICF at Chennai
| type = [[Government]]
| industry = [[Rail transport]]
| founded = {{Start date and age|1955|10|02}}
| hq_location = [[Chennai]], [[Tamilnadu]], [[India]]
| area_served = [[Asia-Pacific]] [[Africa]]
| key_people = John Thomas, [[Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers|IRSEE]] (General Manager)
| products = [[Rolling stock]] [[Electric multiple unit|EMU]] [[MEMU]]
| production = 3262 coaches (2018-19)
| num_employees = 11,300 (2018)
| parent = [[Indian Railways]]
| homepage = https://icf.indianrailways.gov.in/
}}
'''Integral Coach Factory''' (ICF) is a manufacturer of [[ICF coaches|rail coach]]es located in [[Perambur]], [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]. It was established in 1955 and is owned and operated by the [[Indian Railways]]. It is located in [[Perambur]], in the suburbs of Chennai. The ICF is one of the four rake production units of the Indian Railways, the other three being the Modern Coach Factory at Raebareli, [[Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala|Rail Coach Factory]] at [[Kapurthala]] and [[Marathwada Rail Coach Factory, Latur|Marathwada Rail Coach Factory]] at [[Latur]] .<ref>{{cite news
| last = Kumar
| first = S. Vijay
| title = Railways may buy readymade trains from private players
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| pages = 1
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date = 15 July 2019
| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/railways-may-buy-readymade-trains-from-private-players/article28430579.ece
| access-date = 21 July 2019}}</ref>

The coach factory primarily manufactures rolling stock for Indian Railways but also exports railway coaches to other countries. ICF set a new record producing 2,503 coaches in the fiscal year 2017–2018. It became the world's largest railway coach manufacturer, rolling out 3,262 coaches in the fiscal year 2018–2019, up from 1,437 coaches in 2009–2010,<ref>{{cite news
| last = Kumar
| first = S. Vijay
| title = AIRF opposes move to purchase trains
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| pages = 5
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date =15 July 2019
| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/airf-opposes-move-to-purchase-trains/article28430804.ece
| access-date = 21 July 2019}}</ref> expecting to produce 4,000 units in the fiscal year 2019–2020.<ref name="Development of Train 19">{{cite news
| last = Narasimhan
| first = T E
| title = After Train 18, ICF to develop Train 19, sleeper version of Train 18
| newspaper = Business Standard
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Express Publications
| date = 21 May 2019
| url = https://www.business-standard.com/article/indian-railways/after-train-18-icf-to-develop-train-19-sleeper-version-of-train-18-119052101469_1.html
| access-date = 23 May 2019}}</ref>

A premier production unit of the Indian railways, the ICF manufactures a range of coaches, including Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB) ones, in addition to self-propelled train sets (SPTs) such as electrical multiple units (EMU).<ref name="IE_ICFTestTrack">{{cite news
| last = Parthasarathy
| first = Venkatesan
| title = Padi-Anna Nagar line to turn ICF test track
| newspaper = The New Indian Express
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Express Publications
| date = 2 August 2017
| url = http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2017/aug/02/padi-anna-nagar-line-to-turn-icf-test-track-1637052.html
| access-date = 14 July 2018}}</ref>

==Introduction==
In 1948, the [[Government of India]] decided that a separate Railway Coach Building Works should be established with a view to attain self-sufficiency in coaches for Indian Railways. A technical Aid Agreement was concluded on 28 May 1949 with the Swiss Car and Elevator Manufacturing Corporation Ltd. of Switzerland, who have been pioneers in the field of light-weight coach building for obtaining the necessary technical assistance in the establishment of a factory in India for building the coaches. A supplemental agreement was signed on 27 June 1953. After a comprehensive survey of several alternative sites for locating the factory, the vacant Railway land to the west of the Loco Repair Shops of the Southern Railway at Perambur was chosen as the final site in June 1951. The site is ideally situated with rail connections to the factory readily available and a nearby suburban railway station to bring workmen to the factory.

==History==
[[File:Stamp of India - 2019 - Colnect 909074 - India Railways Integral Coach Factory.jpeg|thumb|A 2019 stamp of Integral Coach Factory and their flagship Train 18.]]
The Integral Coach Factory is one of the earliest production units of independent [[India]]. It was initiated by Chief Minister [[K. Kamaraj]] and inaugurated by the first [[Prime Minister of India]] [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] on 2 October 1955. Later the Furnishing Division was inaugurated on 2 October 1962 and the production of fully furnished coaches steadily increased over the years. The total estimated cost of the factory was {{INR}} 74.7 million. In full production, about 350 broad-gauge coaches per annum are produced.<ref>https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/55733/1/lsd_01_06_23-03-1954.pdf page 4</ref> The number of persons sent to Switzerland from the Integral Coach Factory for training in technical jobs in 1954 and 1955 is 64.<ref>https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/56200/1/lsd_01_12_06-04-1956.pdf page 31</ref>

==Manufacturing==
[[File:Vande Bharat exp.jpg|thumb|Vande Bharat Express on its inaugural run.]]
The ICF consists of two main divisions, namely, shell division and furnishing division. The shell division manufactures the skeleton of the rail coach, while the furnishing division is concerned with the coach interiors and amenities. An ancillary unit to the ICF is being built in [[Haldia]], [[West Bengal]] for furnishing [[diesel multiple units]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/article2854285.ece | title=Railways' Haldia factory phase I may be commissioned by Oct/Nov | work=[[The Hindu]] | date=2 February 2012 | access-date=19 February 2012}}</ref> ICF manufactures more than 170 varieties of coaches including the [[Kolkata Metro rolling stock|Kolkata Metro]] rakes for BHEL, NGEF, Medha, first and second class coaches, pantry and kitchen cars, luggage and brake vans, self-propelled coaches, [[electric multiple unit|electric]] (EMU), diesel ([[Diesel multiple unit|DMU]]) and mainline electric multiple unit (MEMU), metro coaches and diesel-electric tower cars, accident relief medical vans (ARMV), inspection cars (RA), fuel test cars, track recording cars and luxury coaches. The plant employs about 11,095 people and manufactures about 2000 coaches per year. ICF churned out 1,503 coaches in 2010<ref name="ICF_StainlessSteelCoachPlant">[http://www.steelguru.com/stainless_steel_news/ICF_to_set_up_a_stainless_steel_coaches_manufacturing_plant/222620.html ICF to set up a stainless steel coaches manufacturing plant]</ref> and in August 2011, ICF was sanctioned a project for manufacturing stainless steel shells and high-speed bogies and an increase in capacity from 1,500 to 1,700 coaches.<ref name="ICF_StainlessSteelCoachPlant" /> In 2013–14, it built 25 [[LHB Coaches]], 248 air-conditioned and 1185 non-AC coaches.<ref>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/ICF-produces-record-1622-coaches/articleshow/33089541.cms</ref> It plans to increase its manufacturing capacity of LHB coaches. It has set a target to manufacture 300 LHB coaches in 2014-15 and reach a capacity of 1000 LHB coaches by 2016–17. Now, the conventional type of coaches of ICF design has been completely dispensed with and ICF is manufacturing all steel all welded modern LHB coaches fully. ICF has turned out a record outturn of 2277 coaches during the year 2016-17 consisting of more than 50 variants involving high technological inputs, meticulous planning and execution.<ref>http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/asia/indian-government-approves-kolar-coach-factory.html?channel=529</ref> In 2019, ICF produced 4300 coaches. A total of 60,000 coaches had been produced till end of December 2019, by ICF since its inception. This makes ICF the largest rail coach manufacturer in the world. On an average, the ICF turns out about 10 coaches of various types in a single day.<ref>{{cite news
| title = ICF surpasses production target, rolls out 2,500th coach
| newspaper = The Hindu
| location = Chennai
| publisher = Kasturi & Sons
| date = 1 April 2018
| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/icf-surpasses-production-target-rolls-out-2500th-coach/article23404214.ece
| access-date = 20 October 2018}}</ref>[[File:Chennai Egome-Kollam Junction express at Kollam, Aug 2019.jpg|right|thumb|Utkrisht coaches of [[Chennai Egmore–Kollam Junction Express|Chennai-Kollam Express]], manufactured by ICF, in [[Kollam Junction railway station]]]]

ICF has also turned out the first semi high speed train set of India, the Train 18, later christened as [[Vande Bharat Express]], which was flagged off by the Prime Minister of India on 15 February 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/train-18-indias-fastest-named-vande-bharat-express-piyush-goyal-1983965|title=India's fastest to be called Vande Bharat Express|work=Indian Express|access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref> One more Vande Bharat Express train set manufactured by ICF is now running between [[New Delhi]] and [[Vaishno Devi Katra]].

==Exports==
ICF also exports rail cars to various countries. It exported its first 47 bogies to [[Thailand]] in 1967 and has since exported 361 bogies and 447 coaches to over 13 Afro-Asian countries. The last order from Sri Lanka for supplying 20 rakes of six coach [[Diesel multiple unit#Diesel–electric|DEMUs]] earned ICF [[Indian rupee sign|₹]]126 [[crore]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-25|title=How Indian Railways can lead the charge towards Atmanirbhar Bharat|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/railways/how-indian-railways-can-lead-the-the-charge-towards-atmanirbhar-bharat/2064202/|access-date=2021-04-30|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Export markets
|-
|-
|Africa
|{{ANG}} {{MOZ}} {{NGR}} {{TAN}} {{UGA}} {{ZAM}}
|-
|Asia
|{{BAN}} {{MYA}} {{ROC}} (Taiwan) {{SRI}} {{THA}} {{PHI}} {{VIE}} {{NEP}}<ref>{{cite news |last1=Prasain |first1=Krishana |title=Janakpur-Jayanagar rail service to resume operations by March |url=https://kathmandupost.com/money/2020/01/16/janakpur-jayanagar-rail-service-to-resume-operations-by-march |access-date=7 March 2020 |work=In May 2018, the Railways Department signed an agreement with the Indian coach manufacturer Integral Coach Factory of Chennai |agency=Kantipur Media Group |publisher=kathmandupost.com |date=January 16, 2020}}</ref>
|}

==Other==
A [[Regional Railway Museum (Chennai)|Regional Railway Museum]] is situated in the factory premises. It has a collection of nascent models of trains and models endemic to the [[Indian Railways]]. About 59.1 million units of electricity had been generated through the windmills installed by ICF in [[Tirunelveli district]] in 2011 which met 80 percent of the plant's electrical energy requirements.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/coach-factory-to-use-rs-250-cr-to-upgrade-bogies/462943/ | title=Coach factory to use Rs 250 cr to upgrade bogies | work=Business Standard | date=27 January 2012 | access-date=19 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-23/chennai/28139780_1_cfl-bulbs-surplus-power-windmills | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707145128/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-23/chennai/28139780_1_cfl-bulbs-surplus-power-windmills | url-status=dead | archive-date=7 July 2012 | title=Surplus from ICF windmills to power TNEB grid soon | work=[[The Times of India]] | date=23 February 2010 | access-date=19 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/10/stories/2009041054990500.htm | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120907172303/http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/10/stories/2009041054990500.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=7 September 2012 | title=Integral Coach Factory installs seven windmills | work=[[The Hindu]] | date=10 April 2009 | access-date=19 February 2012 | location=Chennai, India}}</ref>

==Controversies==
The air-conditioned train-sets manufactured by ICF for [[Kolkata Metro]] allegedly broke down causing disruption of services. According to newspaper reports, the air-conditioned rakes have been sent to Kolkata without conducting dry runs because the ICF does not have third rail testing facilities.<ref>{{cite web|author=(Jayanta) 18 September 2011, 03.51am IST |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-18/kolkata/30171837_1_air-conditioned-rake-metro-services-first-ac-rake |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715021156/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-18/kolkata/30171837_1_air-conditioned-rake-metro-services-first-ac-rake |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-15 |title=Snag disrupts Metro services develops snag, commuters stranded|date=2011-09-18 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|agency=TNN |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-09/kolkata/29868061_1_metro-services-dum-dumbound-metro-officials |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716155404/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-09/kolkata/29868061_1_metro-services-dum-dumbound-metro-officials |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-16 |title=Snag disrupts Metro services|date=2011-08-09 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|agency=TNN|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-02/kolkata/30234790_1_metro-service-dum-dum-and-maidan-metro-staff |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114004603/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-02/kolkata/30234790_1_metro-service-dum-dum-and-maidan-metro-staff |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-11-14 |title=Snag hits Metro on Panchami day|date=2011-10-02 |work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref><ref name="telegraphindia.com">{{cite web|author=Sanjay Mandal |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111031/jsp/calcutta/story_14670772.jsp |title=AC rakes throw Metro off track |publisher=Telegraphindia.com |date=2011-10-31 |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Jayanta Gupta |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-25/kolkata/29702606_1_new-rakes-third-rail-current-collector-metro-ac |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708122713/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-06-25/kolkata/29702606_1_new-rakes-third-rail-current-collector-metro-ac |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-08 |title=Metro AC rakes may break down during rains|date=2011-06-25 |work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=350330&catid=73 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-04-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130222065349/http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=350330&catid=73 |archive-date=22 February 2013 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Our Special Correspondent |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110917/jsp/calcutta/story_14516111.jsp |title=Snag in AC Metro rake |publisher=Telegraphindia.com |date=2011-09-17 |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110918/jsp/bengal/story_14521625.jsp |title=2 days in a row, AC rake snags |publisher=Telegraphindia.com |date=2011-09-18 |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/After-technical-snags-developed-in-an-AC-rake-metro-train-services-were-disrupted-this-morning-Trains-could-not-run-between-Girish-Park-and-Dumdum-They-ran-only-from-Girish-Park-to-New-Garia-/articleshow/10050212.cms |title=After technical snags developed in an AC rake metro train services were disrupted this morning. Trains could not run between Girish Park and Dumdum. They ran only from Girish Park to New Garia.|work=The Times of India |date=2011-09-20 |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/ac-rakes-throw-metro-000000249.html |title=AC rakes throw Metro - Yahoo! News India |publisher=In.news.yahoo.com |date=2011-10-31 |access-date=2012-11-01}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Diesel Locomotive Factory, Marhowrah]]
* [[Electric Locomotive Factory, Madhepura]]
* [[Chittaranjan Locomotive Works]], [[Asansol]]
* [[Banaras Locomotive Works]], [[Varanasi]]
* [[Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli]]
* [[Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala]]
* [[Rail Wheel Plant, Bela]]
* [[Rail Wheel Factory]], [[Yelahanka]]
* [[Titagarh Wagons]], [[Titagarh]]
* [[List of locomotive builders|List of locomotive builders by countries]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |author1=Integral Coach Factory |title=Diamond Memoirs 1955-2015 |url=https://www.railenthusiastindia.org.in/portal/integral-coach-factory-diamond-memoirs-1955-2015 |date=2015 |publisher=Integral Coach Factory |location=Chennai}}
*{{cite book |last1=Swaminathan |first1=V. |title=Tracing the Roots: History Unearthed |url=https://www.railenthusiastindia.org.in/portal/integral-coach-factory-tracing-roots-history-unearthed |date=2015 |publisher=Integral Coach Factory |location=Chennai}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.icf.indianrailways.gov.in/}}
* [http://trainstuff.in/icf-lhb Conventional ICF coaches vs LHB coaches and list of trains using LHB coaches]

{{coord|13.09832|80.20844|type:landmark_region:IN|display=title}}

{{Chennai Topics}}
{{Indian Railways}}
{{Railways in Southern India}}

[[Category:Companies based in Chennai]]
[[Category:Economy of Chennai]]
[[Category:Coach and wagon manufacturers of India]]
[[Category:1955 establishments in Madras State]]
[[Category:Industrial buildings completed in 1955]]

Integral Coach Factory - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 01:28, 14 August 2023