Furnishing Division

When the factory was initially planned, it was decided that coach shells produced would be furnished in railway workshops. With the increasing tempo of activities under the second Five Year Plan and consequent increase in the work load in the railway workshops, Railway Board decided in 1956 to set up a furnishing annexe to ICF so that the factory could deliver complete coaches ready for service instead of steel shells only. Preliminary examination work for setting up the Rs.3.69 crore furnishing unit was taken in hand on 17.02.1956 and the first furnished coach was flagged off by Shri K.Swarup, CAO(R) on 16.01.1962. The division was formally declared open by Shri S.V.Ramaswamy, Dy. Minister for Railways on 02.10.1962.

Production

Production began in a modest but steady manner in 1955 and seven third class coach shells were flagged off from the shell division by the CAO(R) Shri Sadagopan, on 22.02.1956 for Central Railway. The first indigenous coach was turned out by the then
Production over the years

Production over the Years
Year	Production
1955-57	100
1957-62	928
1962-67	2487
1967-72	3273
1972-77	3117
1977-82	3585
1982-87	4099
1987-92	4679
1992-97	4742
1997-2002	5098
2002-07	5559
2007-08	1450**
Total	39117
** Targetted

President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, on 14.08.1956. Since then, ICF has made tremendous strides in the manufacture of coaches and has turned out a new variety almost every year, starting from the ordinary 3rd class coaches to the most advanced suburban rakes - the new generation EMUs.

The Future

ICF is completing its 50 years of service to the Nation by 2nd October 2005. It has been planned to celebrate its Golden Jubilee in a befitting manner. From a modest beginning to manufacture just a few third class shells in 1955, ICF is now capable of producing over 1100 coaches per year and that too in more than 170 varieties. ICF can perhaps be compared with the best of coach production facilities and still remains a pioneer in introducing new types of coaches.

In the 151 years of Indian Railways, role of ICF in its 50 years is certainly a remarkable one and will continue to be so in the years to come.