PM Modi to lay stone for Telangana’s first rail manufacturing unit on July 8
WARANGAL: In a first for the State, Indian Railways is going to set up a railway wagon manufacturing unit in Telangana. The unit will be constructed on 160 acres of land in Kazipet at an estimated cost of `521 crore and is expected to be completed by February 2025.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for this project on Saturday. Initially, a wagon repair workshop was sanctioned at Kazipet to undertake Periodic Overhauling (POH) of 200 wagons per month. The Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) was entrusted with this project.
However, considering the increased demand for wagons by the railways and requests from various stakeholders to establish a manufacturing unit to promote local industry, the wagon repair shop at Kazipet is being upgraded to a full-fledged railway manufacturing unit.
The construction of the railway manufacturing unit at Kazipet is a significant step towards realizing the vision of an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, as per a release. Initially, the unit will have the capacity to manufacture 1,200 wagons per year. By the second year, this capacity will be scaled up to 2,400 wagons per year.
The manufacturing unit will contribute to the industry by ensuring better availability of rolling stock, the release said, adding that the increased production of rolling stock will not only boost the economic growth of Telangana but also facilitate the transportation of critical bulk commodities across the country, thereby benefitting the entire Indian economy.
Arun Kumar Jain, the General Manager of South Central Railway (SCR), highlighted that the railway manufacturing unit at Kazipet is a prestigious project for both the Indian Railways and the people of Telangana. As the first Indian Railway manufacturing unit being established in Telangana, it will contribute to the overall development of the region, he added.
“The manufacturing unit will produce various types of rolling stock based on the requirements, fostering new industrial development in the Hanamkonda region and playing a crucial role in the socio-economic progress of the local population,” Jain said.
To produce 2.4K wagons from 2nd year
In its first year, the unit will have the capacity to manufacture 1,200 wagons annually, but by the second year, the production capacity will be doubled, reaching 2,400 wagons per year
Initially, the project was conceived as a wagon workshop, but it has now been upgraded to a full-fledged railway manufacturing unit