Indian Railways has announced plans to purchase new economy-class Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) passenger coaches to replace the aging Garib Rath trains.
The new LHB trains will comprise 18 passenger coaches and two locomotives positioned at either end of the train. All coaches will be sleeper types, featuring three-tier berths across the width and two-tier berths along the length of the coach. The new coaches will be equipped with ladders for access to middle and upper berths, individual ventilation outlets, reading lamps, and USB sockets for all passengers. The capacity of the new coaches will increase to 81 berths compared to 72 berths in the old Garib Rath coaches.
The Garib Rath trains were introduced in 2006, and currently, 26 trains of this model are operational in India. They are designed to run on a 1676 mm gauge with a maximum speed of 130 km/h. Unlike the new LHB coaches, not all Garib Rath coaches are equipped with air conditioning. The Garib Rath trains include a mix of three-tier and two-tier sleeper and seating coaches.
In early July 2024, the Ministry of Railways of India also unveiled a comprehensive plan to procure 10,000 non-air-conditioned passenger coaches by the end of March 2026.
