Indian Railways have taken another step in line with “Make in India” initiative of Govt. of India by signing the Assured Off Take Agreements (AOT) with SAIL-RITES Bengal Wagon Industry Pvt. Ltd. (SRBWIPL) for manufacture & rehabilitation of wagons at Kulti, West Bengal. The Minister of Railways, Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu was the Chief Guest at the Agreements Signing Ceremony here . The signing has paved the way of commencement of the production of stainless steel wagons at the factory. The Union Minister of Steel and Mines, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar was also specially present on the occasion. Chairman, Railway Board, Shri A.K. Mital, Secretary, Ministry of Steel Ms. Aruna Sundarajan, Railway Board Members, CMD SAIL, CMD RITES and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhu said that today’s Agreement is a very significant landmark for both Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Steel. Two major PSUs of Central Govt. namely RITES of Ministry of Railways and SAIL of Ministry of Steel have come together to set up a joint venture which is a Rs. 2500 Crores “Make in India” initiative. He hoped that the factory will manufacture most modern wagons which are required for expansion of Indian Railways and the factory will emerge as a Centre of Excellence for development and manufacture of special purpose wagons for domestic and international market. Shri Prabhu said that it will contribute to the economic development of the region and lead to employment generation and creation of ancillary industries. Shri Suresh Prabhu pointed out that the steel is a very important component for the development of economy. He said that the increased consumption of steel spurs demand for iron ore which in turn helps Railways as it gets more freight to transport. He said that Indian Railway should also consider other options like using aluminium for manufacturing wagons.
In his speech, Union Minister of Steel & Mines Shri Narender Singh Tomar said that RAIL and SAIL are both very important pillars of country’s economy. The partnership between the two will be very useful for the nation and it will benefit both SAIL and RAIL. Referring to the unfavourable conditions prevailing for the steel industry, Shri Tomar said that we are all working with our full capacity and hope to overcome these difficult times. Shri Tomar said that Rail Connectivity is very important for the development of the industry. He said that under the guidance of hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi and the Railway Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu, Indian Railways is taking giant strider for expansion and modernization. He said that many new facilities and initiatives have already been created by Indian Railways recently for the benefit of the rail users. Shri Tomar assured that Ministry of Steel is always there to stand behind Ministry of Railways to work shoulder to shoulder for the betterment of the country’s economy.
BACKGROUNDER
This factory is ready and the production will commence very soon. This project was announced in 2010-11 and subsequently a Joint Venture (50%:50%) was set up between two major PSUs namely, SAIL (PSU under Ministry of Steel) and RITES (PSU under Ministry of Railways). The land for the factory, which is ready for production, has been provided by SAIL and has been constructed at an approximate cost of Rs.120 crore. This project combines manufacturing and infrastructure expertise of SAIL and RITES with Indian Railway’s commitment and support of Make in India initiative.
This is a long term Assured Off Take Agreement for manufacturing of 1200 wagons per annum and rehabilitation of 300 wagons per annum for a period of 10 years. The total cost of the Assured Off Take will be about Rs.2500 crore. This factory is likely to generate employment for about 400-500 people and will provide skill development opportunities for local people. Secondary and tertiary opportunities also become available which will lead to economic growth and all round development of the area.
This factory is equipped with high end state of the art machinery and plant to achieve quality as well as productivity and it is expected that it will emerge as a centre of excellence in wagon manufacturing with high capacity new design wagons.
SALIENT FEATURES OF THE PROJECT
Manufacture of New Wagons
- Assured off take by IR – 1200 modern high speed stainless steel wagons per annum
- Total covered space – 10,800 sq. mtr. Approx.
- High end sophisticated hydraulically controlled jigs & fixtures for manufacture of underframe, side body & end body of wagons.
- CNC gang drilling machine for simultaneous drilling of centre sill at four locations
- Ø CNC under water plasma cutting machine for precision profile cutting of stainless steel plates
- Main sheds equipped with EOT cranes
- Unique Rail-cum-Road vehicle for simultaneous shunting of wagons on rail and movement on road
Rehabilitation of In-Service Wagons
- Assured off take by IR – 300 wagons rehabilitation per year
- 2000 sq. m of covered space with EOT cranes in wagon repair & rehabilitation shed
- Full rake length of track available in factory for turning out wagons in rake form
- Machines, tools & plant available for turning out 50 wagons per month
- Carry out unloadable repair of wagons for Indian Railways[
Quality & Environment Management System
- SRBWIPL has been awarded ISO: 9001-2008 certification for its Quality Management System.
- ISO 14001 for Environment Management System is expected by Jan’2016.