Train Accident in India - 25 passengers killed

[Texan Eagle]

Hampi Express Accident Leaves 25 Dead

"At least 25 passengers were killed, 16 of them charred, and 43 injured when the Bangalore-bound Hampi Express rammed into a stationary goods train after its driver apparently overshot the signal near the station in Penukonda in the wee hours on Tuesday. The impact of the collision that took place at 3:15 am was such that four coaches of the express train derailed and one of them caught fire near Penukonda station in Andhra Pradesh."

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It is not clear yet whether the driver overshot a red signal and drove the express train into the stationary freight train ahead or the point malfunctioned and instead of taking the express train to a siding track, allowed it to carry on on the mainline that was occupied by the freight train.

The diesel locomotive of WDP-4B model, an Indian derivative of the EMD GT46 model seems to have suffered almost no damage and stood still while the passenger cars behind it, not built as strong as the locomotive, crashed into the engine and into each other.

 

[jis]

Presumably the coaches involved were ICF ones?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Presumably the coaches involved were ICF ones?

I can't find any information about ICF.I assuma CF means "Car Factory", but what does "I" mean?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Presumably the coaches involved were ICF ones?

I can't find any information about ICF.I assuma CF means "Car Factory", but what does "I" mean?

Integral?

 

[Texan Eagle]

Presumably the coaches involved were ICF ones?

Yes.

I can't find any information about ICF.I assuma CF means "Car Factory", but what does "I" mean?

Integral?

Yes.

The rolling stock on Indian Railways can be broadly divided into two categories- the older design "conventional" coaches manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and Rail Coach Factory (RCF). Almost 90% of trains in India carry this design of coaches, and so did the Hampi Express involved in the accident-

Recently Indian Railways has started manufacturing better-looking coaches based on design by LHB, Germany, and these coaches are called, not surprisingly, LHB coaches. Here is an example of LHB coaches (with conventional ICF/RCF coaches seen at the far right-

This distinction becomes important in context of the accident because the old design ICF/RCF coaches have hook couplers, so they are vulnerable to getting smashed into each other and get crumpled in an accident. The LHB coaches (and some newer ICF coaches now) come with center buffer coupling (CBC) and anti-telescopic design so in the event of an accident it is likely that the coupling between coaches will come loose and they will not all smash and crumple into each other.

 

[jis]

ICF coaches also have weaker construction and have lower buff strength characteristics since they are based on late 50's Schlieren design incorporating UIC buff strength standards from back then. The Alstom/LHB coaches are built to more modern standards. Another core difference, though possibly diluted by the Indian Railways is that the LHB coaches according to the original design have more capable wheel sets and suspensions with yaw dampers, and are theoretically good for upto 200kph. The ICF design lacks yaw dampers, though possibly some may recently have been fitted with the LHB type wheel sets and yaw dampers. I am not sure about that. Also I believe the LHB coaches are about 10 feet longer than the ICF coaches.