Kapurthala Rail Coach Factory fails to deliver even one train set against target of 32 for FY 22-23
Vande Bharat Train
New Delhi, May 30: Railways' premier production unit, the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, failed to deliver even one Vande Bharat train in 2022-23 against a projected target of 32, documents have revealed, with the unit blaming its suppliers for not providing electrical components for the train sets.
The failure of the factory to achieve its targets, sources indicated, could affect the Railways' ambitious plans of running 75 Vande Bharat trains by August 2024.
The coach factory did not just fall short of its target to produce Vande Bharat trains, but also in the overall the production of all kinds of coaches.
The factory saw a major shortfall in production at the end of FY 2022-23, having manufactured 1,478 coaches against a target of 1,885, according to a document accessed by PTI.
The factory could manufacture only 153 3HP MEMU trains till March 2023, against a target of 256, and also fell short of its target for LHB coaches, manufacturing 1,325 of it against the goal of 1,520.
Officials said the production of Vande Bharat trains in the factory is likely to begin by September 2024.
This year, the Railway Board has given RCF Kapurthala a target of 64 Vande Bharat Express trains.
A senior ministry official said the RCF has not yet completed the process of approving the design sent by French multinational rolling stock manufacturer, Alstom, for Vande Bharat trains.
Out of 92 designs, only four have been approved, a delay that precludes any possibility of start of production of the semi-high speed trains in the current financial year.
The rail factory has however put forth a series of reasons explaining why the production of various coaches and variants have been delayed.
According to the document, it said its production rate was affected by a spike in prices of raw materials which led to short fall in supply of trade items such as seats-berth, 60 KVA transformer, switch board cabinet, and shell components/ sub assemblies.
"There was serious shortage of wheel supply from May to September 2022 leading to loss of production. Production of 87 coaches was lost on this account. The delay in supply of electrics by BHEL resulted in production loss of MEMU rakes. VB Trainset Coaches delayed as RCF did not get electrics from M/s Medha," the document said.
Desperate to lineup 75 trains by August 2024, the Railways has put into service every factory at its disposal -- not just the RCF, but even Modern Coach Factory, Rae Bareilly, Latur Rail Coach Factory and BHEL.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
