The railway ministry seems to have begun implementing its plans to augment capacity by kicking off works on two new production units. The ministry has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for a global consultant for the Rs 1,000-crore rail coach factory (RCF) at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. Another such RFP has been issued by the ministry for setting up an electric locomotive assembly and ancillary unit of Chittaranjan Locomotive Works at Dankuni in West Bengal.
Interestingly, two different railway ministers announced the projects—RCF in Rae Bareli was the brainchild of Lalu Prasad, while Mamata Banerjee announced the Dankuni unit. In August, the railways issued tenders for bogie manufacturing units in Majerhat and Dalmianagar.
The RCF in Rae Bareli is expected to augment the current manufacturing capacity by making 1,000 coaches every year. Though it will primarily manufacture coaches of the LHB-Alstom design, new technology-based coaches like double-decker coaches, air suspension bogie, coupler and coaches used in self-propelled accident relief trains will also be made there.
The Rae Bareli coach factory had initially be planned as a 74:26 joint venture between a private player and the railways. But, no private player was found owing to the global slowdown last year. The ministry then decided to construct it as a departmental production unit through the EPC route. ?The EPC contractor, to be selected through an international competitive bid, will be required to build the production unit for manufacturing 1000 coaches per annum, including a township for providing residential accommodation and essential utilities to officers and staff of the factory as per the design prepared by the consultant, and transfer it to Indian Railways after capacity proving,? the RFP document says.
Since the consultant will have to build the project from scratch, a team of specialists has to be in place, the RFP has said. The team will include a procurement expert to co-ordinate the project, rolling stock experts, mechanical and civil engineering experts. The bids have to be submitted by November 23 and the railway ministry is hopeful of awarding the project by early next year.
The Dankuni unit will be set up via the public-private-partnership route and will be awarded on a build-own-operate basis. It will make locomotive shells as well as electric loco products for electric locomotives manufactured in Chittaranjan and diesel loco products for locomotives manufactured in Varanasi.