Foundation stone laid for coach manufacturing unit.

Union Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge laid the foundation stone of the Fiat Bogies Manufacturing Factory at Badiyal and Kadechur villages in Yadgir district recently.

Kharge said the project would entail a total investment of over Rs. 750 crore. The factory will manufacture Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) design stainless steel coaches.

LHB coaches are known for its passenger comfort, safety, speed, aesthetics, low corrosion and maintenance, he said.

The project was announced during the railway budget last year.

Apart from fiat bogies, the factory will also manufacture state of the art passenger bogies.

The factory will have a production capacity of 600 fiat bogie frames per annum which can cater to the requirement of 300 new coach sets. The factory will have facilities for fabrication, robotic welding, shot blasting and frame machining.

It is estimated that this unit can provide direct employment to about 220 members and indirectly generate employment opportunities for a large number of workers, said Kharge.

Kharge said the foundation stone for the construction of the new railway line between Wadi and Gadag will be laid by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on February 28.

The Wadi-Gadag project, estimated to cost Rs. 1,922, was a long pending demand of the people of Hyderabad Karnataka and Bombay Karnataka regions, Kharge said.

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS