Here Is Why Trains In India Look Dented Even When New [Video]
Indian Railways is like the lifeline of our country. It moves goods and people from one place to another at an affordable cost. It is one of the reasons why many Indians still prefer trains as a mode of transport for long-distance journeys. Over the years, many improvements have been made to the Indian Railway system. However, there is one thing that we still lack or miss when compared to trains that run in other countries. No, it is not punctuality but the finish or the look of the coaches. We do have new Vande Bharat coaches on various routes, but they still look inferior when compared to international counterparts. Why do even our brand-new coaches rolling out from the factory look dented? Here we have a video that explains the same.
The video has been shared by Power Train by Aakash Bhavsar on his YouTube channel. In this video, the vlogger compares the coaches on Indian trains with the ones in other countries. He talks about how the coaches in trains that run in European countries look world-class while we have dents on the panels of even a new one.
The reason for this imperfection lies in the method used to make these coaches. The coach factories in India are using old methods and several small pieces of aluminium panels to actually make coaches. These sheets are of the desired thickness but, in most cases, these small pieces of sheets are welded to the frame of the coach to make the exterior shell.
The train coaches in other countries use large high pressure presses to stamp the aluminium sheets to get them to the desired shape. This way, they are able to achieve an even finish which cannot be achieved using smaller sheets. The welding part is also done by robots in many coach factories, but we have manual labour doing this work in India. This again affects the evenness of the work.
The coaches used in most Indian trains are ladder-on-frame constructions. That is not the case with many European countries. They have monocoque construction which offers a better experience to the passengers.
Paint is also another factor that gives international trains the smooth and glossy finish. They often carry out the same procedure as many car brands when it comes to painting panels. However, that is not the case in India. We are still using PU paints and we also don’t offer a gloss or clear coat on top. Directly painting on the metal panels without filler again leaves the ridges and welding marks exposed and gives an uneven or dented look to the coach.
The reason why Indian Railways is not upgrading its machinery is because of the cost involved. These machines don’t come cheap and if they are implemented, it might reflect in the fares as well. The government did consider this option and they realised that the cost making a new coach in the international standard would cost around 30-40 crore more than the curreny one.
Apart from this, there are several labour unions in these coach factories that might oppose such new technologies as there is always a risk of automation and people losing jobs. The major factor that is stopping the authorities from taking such decisions is surely the cost. Will we ever get world-class coaches in India? It is unlikely to happen in the near future, but we feel there is no harm in being a little optimistic.