BENGALURU: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has asked the Rail Wheel Factory at Yelahanka to develop wheel sets for its train coaches to be deployed on its Phase-II network. This is being done in line with the twin initiatives of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ and ‘Make in India’ campaigns of the Central Government. BMRCL Managing Director Ajay Seth has written to RWF on Wednesday, in this connection, and a copy of the letter is available with Express. He, however, reserved his comments.
Confirming the development, General Manager, RWF, Rajiv Kumar Vyas told The New Indian Express, “The Union Urban Development Ministry was keen that RWF design the wheels for Bengaluru Metro so that indigenous manufacturing can be given a boost. Top officials have held a series of talks with us in this connection. This is an outcome of that. We had already set the ball rolling and are designing a wheel set which will be sent to BMRCL for approval. It got delayed a bit due to the Covid-19 situation.”
The preliminary order is for eight wheel sets, four to be used for a motor coach and four for a trailer coach, Vyas said. The letter states that BMRCL proposes to place development order for design, manufacture, testing and supply of wheel sets. “Commercial issues for regular manufacture of one motor car wheel set (4 nos) and one trailer car wheel set (4 nos) shall be finalised on receipt of technical clearance from RSDO, Lucknow, for design”, it said. Wheels for Metro coaches were imported earlier and fitted on to coaches built by Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. The Chinese state-owned CRRC Corporation has won the contract for manufacture of 216 coaches for Phase-II.