NEW DELHI: With high-speed train projects slated for launch in the coming years, the Railways is bracing for a surge in demand for forged wheels by augmenting local production, officials said.
As the Centre has the mega plan to manufacture 200 Vande Bharat express and other high-speed trains, the annual requirement for forged wheels could climb to around 2 lakh units from 2026 onwards, according to officials. Currently, the Railways relies heavily on imports for forged wheels, mostly from China with import chain disrupted in because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Despite the domestic production of approximately 40,000 wheels by the Steel Authority of India Limited, the Railways had to import forged wheels worth Rs 900 crore from China and Russia during 2024-25 fiscal to meet operational needs, according to government data.
“With the launch of high-speed trains and increased rail connectivity across the country, the demand for forged wheels is set to rise dramatically. Our goal is to reduce dependence on imports by boosting local production,” a senior official said on Friday.
As part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited a factory set up for production of forged rail wheels in Tamil Nadu on Friday. “The wheels made in this factory will not only cater to the needs of the Railways but will also be exported. The factory will rank among the world’s top three forged wheel plants,” he said.
The Railways has been importing forged wheels for locomotives and coaching stock since 1960 from the UK, Czech Republic, Brazil, Romania, Japan, China, Ukraine and Russia. Besides 40,000 wheels by SAIL, 21,000 are produced in a Raebareli factory. To meet the demand, the Railways had floated tenders for setting up a new plant with assured off-take of 80,000 wheels per annum in the next 20 years.
“Once the new plant is set up, the full requirement of forged wheels for locomotives and coaching stock will be met from domestic production,” a senior railway official said. The Railways is exploring partnerships with domestic manufacturers and considering setting up new facilities to ramp up production capacity.
“As several high-speed rail corridors are expected to be operational in the next few years, ensuring a robust supply of forged wheels will be critical for their smooth rollout. Railways is trying to be self-reliant in wheel production,” said an official.
What are forged wheels?
Forged wheels are specially-designed wheels built at high pressure for trains running at higher speeds than regular Indian Railways trains. They are structurally stronger, without the potential faultlines such as porosity and cavities typical to normal cast wheels. The compression of the metal also increases wheel longevity, and resistance against wear and tear.