Rail Coach Factory - Rail Company in Punjab

The foundation stone of Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala was laid down by Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi on 17.08.1985. The objective of this project was to enhance the production capacity of passenger coaches for the ever increasing demand of Indian Railways (IR) and to generate employment opportunities for the youth of Punjab.

The project was sanctioned at an initial cost of Rs. 423 Crs. in 1985, however expansion projects had been taken up later.

The production at RCF commenced on 19.09.1987 i.e. just after two years from the inception of the project and the first coach was rolled out on 31.03.1988.

RCF started manufacturing ICF design coaches made of corten steel, however after transfer of technology from Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) of Germany in 1998, it started manufacturing modern stainless steel coaches having speed potential upto 160 kmph. These are extensively being used in premium trains like, Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express etc.

India's first TEJAS train was rolled out from RCF on 18.05.2017 and was pressed into service on 22.05.2017 on Mumbai-Karmali ( Goa) route. Thereafter, coaches for Buddhist Circuit rake were turned out in November 2018. On 19.03.2019, coaches for first UDAY rake were rolled out from RCF.

RCF is the only Production Unit of IR to roll out all five types of New Genre coaches viz. Tejas Humsafar, Uday Antyodaya and Deendayalu. on 30.01.2020,RCF introduced High Capacity Parcel Van to carry high volumetric load at high speed.

Later in the year , a prototype of Double Decker of 160 kmph speed potential was rolled out on 18.11.2020. On 11.02.2021, RCF had another jewel in its crown, when it rolled out Indian Railway’s first Air Conditioned Economy Class coach with enhanced speed and berth capacity.