Indian Railways Production Units i.e. Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, Rail Coach Factory (RCF) at Kapurthala, Modern Coach Factory (MCF) at Rae Bareli, Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) at Chittaranjan, Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) at Varanasi, Patiala Locomotive Works (PLW) at Patiala, Rail Wheel Factory (RWF) at Bengaluru and Rail Wheel Plant at Bela are on fast track to achieve record production in 2022-23.
More details:
- All Production Units of Railways are performing excellently. They are supplying the ever increasing requirement of Rolling Stock for Indian Railways. All the Production Units continue to get modernization inputs in the form of latest M&P, Sheds & facilities.
- Even during the period of COVID time, the Railway Production Units continued to support the railway sector by producing coaches by following the prescribed COVID norms.
- ICF, RCF & MCF are coach Manufacturing units which make Vande Bharat, LHB, EMUs, MEMUs, Vistadome and other coaches. It is to the credit of ICF that the first indigenous Trainset was designed and manufactured in just 18 months and called T18. Two such trains are already running between Delhi-Varanasi and Delhi-Katra.
- Now trials of the newer version of Vande Bharat are going on. IR is planning to induct another 75 Vande Bharata trains by August, 2023 as per the vision of the Prime Minister. CLW, BLW and PLW are locomotive manufacturing units. Today they are manufacturing advanced Electric locos i.e. WAG9 and WAP7. Modern energy efficient 12000hp and 9000hp Locomotives will also be made soon at these Production Units.
- Further RWF and RWP are the wheels and wheelsets producing units, supplying all types of Rolling Stocks. Rail Wheel Plant Belapur & Rail Wheel Factory Yehlanka have collectively produced 92118 wheels in this FY(till August), which is 6.5 times the wheels produced last year during the same period. Similarly, production of rail axles have also increased by 7% during the same period.
- Last year in 2021-22, all the production Units achieved record production. Last year, LHB Coach Production increased by 45% and Loco production increased by 34%. This year in 22-23 still higher Production targets have been given to Production Units. Despite some supply chain constraints, all are poised to achieve the same.
- The Government has ambitious plans to recapture the freight market share by Railways from 28% at present to 40% in next 10 years. For this, funds have been made available for capacity augmentation, modernization of Rolling stocks, world class stations & tracks etc. Accordingly large no. of Rolling Stocks of Modern type like Vande Bharat and 3-phase EMUs & MEMUs will be produced by the Production Units.
Source: PIB -Press Release | Image Credit (representational): MoR
