Railway coach factory for Rae Bareli

Tiruchi: Union Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said here on Friday that a passenger coach plant would be set up at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh at a cost of Rs. 2, 200 crore.

The plant would come up in two years and make 1,000 coaches annually, Mr. Velu told journalists after declaring open an air-conditioned waiting lounge, dormitory and the renovated VIP lounge at the railway station here.

The production capacity of the Integral Coach Factory at Perambur in Chennai had been increased. The Railways were not importing locomotives, coaches and wheels, the Minister said, adding that the organisation was manufacturing metro coaches as well.

Answering a question, he said that in the first stage, a dedicated freight corridor had been planned between New Delhi and Mumbai and between Ludhiana and Kolkata.

In the second stage, the corridor had been planned between Goa and Chennai, New Delhi and Chennai, and Kolkata and Chennai. All golden quadrilaterals would eventually be covered by the freight corridor.

Mr. Velu said there was a 16 per cent growth in the freight revenue. A sum of Rs. 496 crore had been earmarked for improving passenger amenities in stations.

The Southern Railway alone had been given Rs. 50 crore on the amenities front, he said, adding additional allotment would be given to the zone.

Modernisation


He said five stations had been identified in each of the 67 railway divisions across the country for modernisation and improving amenities. In Tiruchi Division, passenger amenities works to the tune of Rs. 35 crore were under way.