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This is an archive article published on March 1, 2014
Green signal for coach unit at Kolar
The proposed factory is likely to cost Rs 1460.92 crore and will manufacture around 500 LHB coaches a year.
New Delhi | March 1, 2014 01:17 AM IST
2 min read
2 min read
The Union Cabinet has given its nod for setting up a rail coach factory at Kolar in Karnataka, even as there was little progress on three other approved projects for the Railways — two for making locomotives and another for compartments.
In what could be the last major decision concerning the Railways by the UPA II government, the Cabinet gave its approval for the Linke-Hoffman Busche (LHB) coach factory at Kolar — a project pursued by both Railway Minister Kharge and KH Muniyappa, MoS for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. While Kharge hails from Karnataka, Muniyappa represents Kolar constituency in the Lok Sabha.
The proposed factory is likely to cost Rs 1460.92 crore and will manufacture around 500 LHB coaches a year. These compartments are for premium trains, such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto and the new Jai Hind Express.
The project will be a 50-50 joint venture between the Railways and the state, which will also provide 1118.38 acres free of cost for the factory in a first-of-its-kind busdiness participatory model. The proposal for a coach factory at Kolar had been hanging fire for three years and finally got a push after Kharge assumed the charge of Railways last year. The Railways plans to replace conventional coaches with these compartments because of their fire retardant materials and modern design.
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