K T Rama Rao urges Centre to set up rail coach factory in public sector at Kazipet

Industries and Information Technology Minister K T Rama Rao has urged the union government to keep its word given to the new born State of Telangana and set up a railway coach factory in public sector at Kazipet. Speaking after laying foundation stone for Medha Rail Coach factoryat Kondakal village in Ranga Reddy district here on Thursday, the minister recalle that the State was assured of a railway coach factory in Kazipet in the bifurcation Act itself, but the promise was not honoured.

“Telangana is a new and progressive State and the centre must assist this growth-oriented State by setting up the coach factory in the public sector,” he demanded. 

Coming up over 100 acres, it will be India's largest private rail coach factory and will be capable of manufacturing coaches, locomotives, metro trains and monorail.

Being set up by Medha Group with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, the coach factory will have a production capacity of 500 coaches and 50 locomotives per year.

Rama Rao said the plant with employment potential of 2,200 would give a big push for the manufacturing sector.

He hoped that the first assembly unit of the plant would be ready in 15 months to cater to the future requirements of Telangana of not just metro and mono rails but also high-speed trains.

“So far we have an aviation hub at Adibhatla that makes components for Boeing, Apache, Sikorsky, a tractor factory at Zaheerebad, bus building unit in Hyderabad and now even rail



coaches will be manufactured in Telangana,” he said. He called upon Medhato explore the possibility of entering into fray for the Rs 30,000 crore initiative of Union Government for manufature of Metro coaches coaches. Medha already has experience in manufacture of “Vandebharat” locomotives that run at 160 km speed linking Varanasi-New Delhi, propulsion systems and signaling. He asked Medha to participate in the monorail or metro rail projects in tier two cities like Warangal.

“Telangana must transform into a self-reliant State, which is the aim of the Chief minister. We must acquire the knowledge to manufacture world class equipment. As Medha wishes they can partner with European companies making Telangana, the only State that could produce world class railway coaches,” he said. He also suggested that once the 160 km speed locomotives manufactured by Medha hit the tracks, entire lifestyle of the daily commuters will change.

“Anyone who is working in Hyderabad, doesn’t have to live here anymore. Anyone coming from Adilabad can reach Hyderabad in one hour. Similarly anyone living in Vijayawada can reach Hyderabad in two hours and from Hyderabad to Bangalore in just three hours,” he said.

Finance Minister T Harish Rao, Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy, MPs Ranjith Reddy and Prabhakar Reddy, district collector of Rangareddy Amoy Kumar and Sangareddy collector M Hanumanth Rao , Managing Director of Medha group Y Kashyap Reddy and Executive Director Srinivas Reddy were also present at the ground breaking ceremony.