In a massive exercise, aimed at overhauling its decades-old infrastructure, the railway ministry has invited bids from private sector companies to set up two factories for manufacturing 50,000 high-capacity freight bogies in the next five years. The two factories, to be set up at Majerhat (West Bengal) and Dalmianagar ( Bihar ), will require investments to the tune of Rs 100 crore each.
Set to be run as public-private partnerships, the two units would be used to manufacture high capacity freight bogies of 25 tonne and 32.5 tonne axle load, to be run on the dedicated freight corridor. This would be a first for the railways, which currently produces wagons with only a 22.9-tonne axle load. High capacity wagons have now become a necessity for the railways, as it plans to run wagons of 32.5-tonne axle load on the dedicated freight corridor. The factories at Majerhat and Dalmianagar would be a part of the two rolling stock complexes planned by the railways to service the freight corridor.
While railway minister Mamata Banerjee, in her Budget last month, had announced one such centre in her state ? West Bengal—with rolling stock production, assembly facilities and coach rehabilitation at Dankuni, Majerhat and Naopara, her predecessor at Rail Bhawan ? Lalu Prasad— had, in 2007, announced a similar complex for producing new technology bogies, couplers, and draft gears in Bihar. The factory at Dalmianagar was a proposed as a part of this but its fate has been hanging in the balance ever since even though the ministry had invited bids for it last year.
Along with the higher axle load, the freight bogies would have other modern technologies. The railway ministry is working out the new design and technology for the bogies, including brakes, wheel and axle assembly, through the Rail Standards and Design Organisation, which would be transferred to the private player later.
The last date for submitting the request for qualification for the two units is September 8, while the shortlisted bidders are expected to be announced by early October. ?We hope to award the projects by the end of this year or early next year,? a railway ministry official said. After the RFQ, the ministry will require at least another three months for the request for proposal.