SALEM
STEEL FOR RAILMART AND SUB PANTRY OF JAN SHATABDI COACHES
Salem Steel
Plant of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), is undertaking
fabrication of modular rail marts and sub-pantries for the coaches
of Jan Shatabdi Express. In a pioneering venture, the Integral
Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, has launched manufacture of Jan
Shatabdi Express coaches for high speed short distance trains
and these coaches will have rail marts and sub-pantry made of
stainless steel.
Fabricated
in various thicknesses ranging 0.8 to 3 mm in 304 grade stainless
steel, in variety of custom made finishes like moon rock, hammer
tone and stripe, each rail mart and sub-pantry requires around
one tonne of stainless steel. So far 29 coaches have been completed
and deployed in various routes
viz Kathiar, Malda, Vijayawada and Dehradun. Another order for
94 coaches has been received against the total number of 152 coaches
to be fabricated for this project.
Striped
stainless steel sheeting was used for the first time in the full
wall paneling in the 3 First AC Coaches turned out by ICF in July
and August. These bath-cum-toilets incorporate a number of upgraded
features including stainless steel fittings and plumbing. The
plant is also pursuing the prospects of furnishing the pantry
cars, besides the ‘Deccan Odyssey’ coaches of the ‘Palace on Wheels’
project of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.
Stainless
steel is currently being used in the railway sector for trough
floor, under slung water tanks, rung ladders, structural, flooring,
bellows in diesel exhaust, overhead electric car panelling, berth
railings, commodes, sinks, wash basins, roof-mounted air conditioning
units and so on. The material’s strength, corrosion resistance,
durability, cleanliness and aesthetic appeal are the prime criteria
for being chosen for these applications.
