Parliamentary panel recommends modernisation of Railways’ production units to meet rolling stock targets

According to the report, the Ministry of Railways stated that regular meetings are held with Production Units (PUs) to monitor production progress and address any issues affecting target achievement. It also added that PUs participate in performance review meetings for locomotives, involving all stakeholders, including RDSO and Zonal Railways.

“Production Program as per traffic requirement dully approved by Board is conveyed to Production Unit. Monthly Production in PUs is monitored by Railway Board. Every month production data from PUs is monitored in Board office. Regular review meetings are held at different level to monitor the production performance of different Production Units,” it said.

The Ministry further stated that around 291 projects are currently underway across various Zonal Railways, focusing on the establishment of new workshops as well as the upgradation and augmentation of existing maintenance facilities.

“These projects have been identified and sanctioned based on various factors such as planned overhauling capacity, type of rolling stock to be overhauled, requisite machinery and plants to be installed, etc. An expenditure of approximately Rs. 3,097 Crore has been incurred on these projects up to January, 2026 against a total sanctioned cost of Rs.7,347 crore. These projects are at various stages of progress and are being monitored on regular basis to ensure their timely completion,” it said.

Conversion of ICF rake to LHB rake

The Ministry further stated that over 1,494 ICF rakes have already been replaced with LHB coaches and the remaining 491 rakes will be phased out in due course. “The shift from ICF to LHB coaches has gradually improved train speeds due to higher speed potentials of LHB coaches,” it added.

Indian Railways advanced rolling stock

The committee also praised the Railways’ decision to introduce advanced rolling stock such as the Vande Bharat Express (Sleeper) and Amrit Bharat Express, featuring enhanced safety measures and modern passenger amenities aimed at inducting high-capacity, lightweight, sturdy and faster trains.

It also urged the Ministry to prioritise the modernisation of workshops through the induction of advanced diagnostic equipment, digital maintenance systems and structured technical training modules.

“The Committee also observe that while manufacturing capabilities have advanced significantly, the maintenance ecosystem in Zonal workshops must be strengthened commensurately. A formal mechanism for seamless transfer of technology and technical know-how from Production Units to workshops should be institutionalised to
ensure reliability, safety, reduction in maintenance time and cost for optimal lifecycle performance of rolling stock,” the panel said in its report.