Rajasthan gets Rs 1,000 crore rail coach factory at Bhilwara in Rail Buget 2013

Centre on Monday announced setting up of Rs 1,000 crore state-of-the-art coach factory in Bhilwara.

Railways has joined hands with state-owned BHEL for setting up a modern Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) coach factory in Rajasthan to cater to the growing demand for faster and comfortable inter-city travel.

The MEMU trains, equipped with higher acceleration capacity, are expected to move faster on electrified tracks and would benefit daily commuters.

“The state government has agreed to give 200 acres of land in Bhilwara and BHEL will set up the factory that will manufacture 400 coaches in a year,” railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said at a function organized on the occasion of inking the MoU between the state-run transporter and BHEL.

As of now, railways has 160 MEMU trains, while the demand for shorter routes — connecting small towns and villages surrounding urban and industrial centres — have increased manifold. It is estimated that about 9,000 MEMU coaches would be required over the next 10 years, while existing Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala is not being able to meet the growing demand.

src: TOI