Stone India has informed us that the company executed technical collaboration agreement with Sumitomo Electric Industries, Japan for manufacturing of air spring for passenger and EMU/DMU/MEMU coaches for Indian Railways.
Sumitomo Electrical Industries is a leading supplier of this product to Shinaksen. They also supply air spring to other rail market worldwide. This collaboration will introduce the latest technology in this field to Indian railways which is going through major technology advancement in its rolling stock manufacturing.
The Indian railways (IR) proposes to install air spring as a technology upgradation. This will replace the existing mechanical suspension system with pneumatic suspension, resulting in higher passenger comfort for trains running at higher speed. This is in line with international practice. Currently IR inducts more than 2800 new coaches every year. IR also proposes to selectively upgrade their existing rolling stock of about 25,000 coaches through retrofitment of air spring and pneumatic suspension system.