Acts as one of several non-catalytic accessory components of the cytoplasmic dynein 1 complex that are thought to be involved in linking dynein to cargos and to adapter proteins that regulate dynein function. Cytoplasmic dynein 1 acts as a motor for the intracellular retrograde motility of vesicles and organelles along microtubules. The intermediate chains mediate the binding of dynein to dynactin via its 150 kDa component (p150-glued) DCTN1. May play a role in mediating the interaction of cytoplasmic dynein with membranous organelles and kinetochores. This is the function of DYNC1I1 (dynein cytoplasmic 1 intermediate chain 1, Ensembl gene identifier ENSG00000158560).