HYDERABAD: The long-pending demand for the establishment of a railway coach factory may not become a reality. Though it is mandated by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act (APRA) and a request was made by the state government several times, the Union government is reluctant to set up the facility.
On Wednesday, the Centre indirectly clarified that there were no plans to set up a railway coach factory in Kazipet.
Replying to a question posed by Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy in Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated: “Rail coach factories are set up keeping in view the railway’s overall requirement of rolling stock. Presently, the existing production units and those already planned are sufficient to meet the railway’s overall requirement of rolling stock for the near future.”
Meanwhile, to another question from BJP MP M Raghunandan Rao, the railway minister said that 20 projects with a value of Rs 32,946 crore covering a length of 2,298 km are under various stages of development in the Telangana as on April 1, 2024.