भा र त स र का र

Government of India
रे ल मं ा ल य Ministry of Railways
रे ल ड बा का र खा ना Rail Coach Factory
क पु र थ ला Kapurthala

पं जा ब 1 4 4 6 0 2 RCF Punjab 144602

ESTT: 1986
था प त : 1 9 8 6
KAPURTHALA

भारतीय रे लवे के एलएचबी कोच पर ै श ऊजा अवशोषण को

बढ़ाने के लए उपकरण क तकनीक व श टता

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION OF EQUIPMENT FOR

AUGMENTING CRASH ENERGY ABSORPTION ON LHB
COACHES OF INDIAN RAILWAYS

Specification Number RCF-FRS-2023-1

Revision Number DRAFT-0 Date of Issue 17/11/2023

Brief Description
This document contains the functional requirement specifications of the equipment
(centre buffer coupler & side buffers) that can be retrofitted on the existing design of LHB
coaches deployed on IR to augment the crash energy absorption.

© RCF/KXH 2023
FOREWORD
The modern railway vehicles manufactured at the Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala are
designed for high safety and reliability and enable economical operations. While
crashworthiness features are a part of the coach structural design, it is planned to improve
the same by adding equipment that can absorb and dissipate crash energy.
This specification has been prepared to provide the technical specification of equipment
that can be retrofitted onto the existing coaches and improve the crash energy absorption.

DISCLAIMER
This specification is based on the studies, trials & experience by RCF/KXH. Although every
care is taken in specifying details adequately and unambiguously, RCF/KXH shall not be
liable for any kind of damages / losses incurred by any and all due to errors or omissions
in this document. When using the information described herein, the user is ultimately
responsible for their own actions, as well as the actions of subordinates and assistants,
and the consequences arising therefrom.
This document may mention numerous commercial and proprietary trade names,
registered trademarks and the like (not necessarily marked as such), patents, production
and manufacturing procedures, registered designs, and designations. RCF wishes to state
clearly that the present legal situation in respect of these names or designations or
trademarks must be carefully examined before making any commercial use of the same.
Names of industrially produced apparatus and equipment may be included to a necessarily
restricted extent only and any exclusion of products not mentioned in this document does
not imply that any such exclusion has been based on quality criteria or any other qualifying
consideration.

COPYRIGHT
RCF/KXH has the copyright of all its publications. No part of these publications may be
reproduced in any form without the prior permission of RCF. Enquires relating to the
copyright should be addressed to Public Relations Officer, RCF/KXH.

ADDRESS FOR COMMUNICATION

Public Relations Officer
Government of India - Ministry of Railways,
Rail Coach Factory
Kapurthala
Punjab
India
Pin: 144602
Website: www.rcf.indianrailways.gov.in
Document No: RCF-MD-FRS-2023-1 Revision No: DRAFT-0 Date Issued: 17/11/2023
Specification Title: Functional Requirements Specification for crash energy absorption augmentation system for LHB coaches

DOCUMENT CONTROL
Name Designation Signature Reason

PREPARED

CHECKED

REVIEWED

APPROVED

LIST OF AMENDMENTS
S. No. Amendment Date Revision Details
1. Dd/mm/2023 0

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Document No: RCF-MD-FRS-2023-1 Revision No: DRAFT-0 Date Issued: 17/11/2023
Specification Title: Functional Requirements Specification for crash energy absorption augmentation system for LHB coaches

CONTENTS

0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 3
1 Objectives and Scope of the specification ............................................................................................ 3
2 List of standards & specifications referred ........................................................................................... 3
3 Abbreviations / Terminology ................................................................................................................. 3
4 Functional & Technical requirements ................................................................................................... 3
4.1 Centre Buffer Coupler ................................................................................................................... 3
4.2 Side Buffer .................................................................................................................................... 4
5 Total expected energy absorption ........................................................................................................ 4

LIST OF FIGURES

No table of figures entries found.

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: List of referred standards 3

Table 2: Abbreviations & Terminology 3
Table 3: Total Energy Absorption between 2 coaches 4

LIST OF Annexures

1. Intervehicle clearances on straight track

2. Intervehicle clearance on 100 (175m radius) curved track
3. RDSO/2011/CG-03 rev-03
4. Side buffer mounting interface drawings

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Document No: RCF-MD-FRS-2023-1 Revision No: DRAFT-0 Date Issued: 17/11/2023
Specification Title: Functional Requirements Specification for crash energy absorption augmentation system for LHB coaches

0 Introduction
Indian Railways has deployed LHB design of coaches for passenger operations. It is now proposed to
improve the crash energy absorption values of these coaches by retrofitting the same with energy
absorption devices.

1 Objectives and Scope of the specification

This document has been prepared with the objective framing the technical requirement of energy
absorption devices that can be retrofitted on the existing LHB coaches. The following devices are
considered:
1. Centre Buffer Coupler
2. Side Buffer

2 List of standards & specifications referred

S. Standard / Title
No. Specifications
1. EN12663
2. EN15227
3. IS2500-Part1
4. IRSOD Indian Railways Schedule of Dimensions (2022)
Table 1: List of referred standards

3 Abbreviations / Terminology
S. No. Abbreviations / Terminology Expansion / Explanation
1. AISI American Iron & Steel Industry
2. BoM Bill of Materials
3. COTS Common of the shelf
4. GTIN Global Trade Item Number (Global Systems One)
5. KXH Indian Railways station code for Kapurthala
6. LHB Linke-Hofmann-Busch the ToT partner for RCF/KXH.
7. QAP Quality Assurance Plan
8. RCF Rail Coach Factory
9. SS Stainless Steel
Table 2: Abbreviations & Terminology

4 Functional & Technical requirements

The set of components i.e. centre buffer-coupler and the side buffers are expected to function under
geometric constraints mandated in the IRSOD. These constraints are provided in the following annexed
sketches.
1. Intervehicle clearances on straight track. (Annexure 1)
2. Intervehicle clearance on 100 (175m radius) curved track (Annexure 2)
The set of components when mounted on coaches are expected to restrict relative movement between
coaches and dissipate energy when the 2 adjacent coaches come closer in the event of a crash.

4.1 Centre Buffer Coupler

The centre buffer coupler shall meet the requirements of the high tensile tight lock centre buffer coupler
with AAR “H”- type head and balanced draft gear to RDSO specification RDSO/2011/CG-03 rev-03
(Annexure 3). This specification provides for 35 kJ of energy absorption. This energy absorption value
needs to be increased to 335kJ within a range of travel limited to 140mm.
The crash energy absorbing CBC shall function in tandem with the unit on adjacent coach and shall
absorb / dissipate 335kJ of energy over a travel distance of 140mm

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Document No: RCF-MD-FRS-2023-1 Revision No: DRAFT-0 Date Issued: 17/11/2023
Specification Title: Functional Requirements Specification for crash energy absorption augmentation system for LHB coaches

4.2 Side Buffer

Two crash energy absorption buffers shall be placed on each side of the end of the coach. The interface
for fitment is provided in drawing attached as Annexure 4.
The side buffers shall be designed to be non-contact type during normal operations. In case of a crash
the adjacent side buffer faces shall come into contact creating an anti-climbing join and both buffers shall
move longitudinally by max 80mm while absorbing/dissipating 160kJ each.

5 Total expected energy absorption

The following table provides the calculation for the total crash energy absorption in one space between 2
LHB coaches.
Component Travel (mm) Coach 1 (kJ) Coach 2 (kJ) Total (kJ)
Centre Buffer Coupler 140x2 = 280 mm 335 335 670
Side Buffer 80 x 2 = 160 mm 160 x 2 = 320 160x2=320 640
Total 655 655 1310
Table 3: Total Energy Absorption between 2 coaches

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