The Marathwada Rail Coach Factory will ensure supply of Vande Bharat Train sets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dedicated to the nation the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur, which will supply Vande Bharat train sets, and launched various other Railway projects in Maharashtra, officials said.
The PM inaugurated or laid foundation stones for a total of 6,000 Railway projects worth Rs 85,000 crore across the country from Ahmedabad in Gujarat via video conference.
As part of launch of the projects via video link, he also inaugurated five Jan Aushadi Kendras (for affordable and quality generic medicines) at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai), Manmad (Nashik), Pimpri (Pune), Solapur and Nagbhir (Chandrapur).
PM Modi also inaugurated four rail coach restaurants - at Nashik Road, Akola, and Mumbai's Andheri and Borivali stations, the officials said.
The PM inaugurated and dedicated to the nation 506 projects, including the Latur-based Marathwada Rail Coach Factory, a wagon repair workshop at Badnera (Amravati district) and Vande Bharat chair car maintenance-cum-workshop depot in Pune, they said.
The Marathwada Rail Coach Factory will ensure supply of Vande Bharat Train sets (16 car formation) to the Railways in co-ordination with its technology partners, the Central Railway (CR) officials said.
All departments of the factory are equipped with the latest machinery and plants, they said.
It will ensure development of the entire Marathwada region by bringing a whole new set of vendors to supply various components to this unit, said a railway release.
It will provide direct employment to around 1,300 persons and indirect employment to more than 10,000 persons in terms of various outsourced activities, the release said.
"The Marathwada Railway Coach Factory will create large-scale employment opportunities for the youths of Marathwada," Latur Collector Varsha Thakur-Ghuge said.
The first phase of the project has come up at a cost of Rs 675.79 crore and is spread across 110 acres. In Phase 1, 120 coaches of Vande Bharat trains will be manufactured at the factory.
The wagon repair workshop at Badnera will cater to two major freight depots of the Central Railway in Bhusaval and Nagpur and enhance the availability of wagons, as per the CR.
Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Union minister Narayan Rane, state Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha and others attended the virtual event at Mumbai Central.
Speaking on the occasion, Shinde said, "The Railways is changing the life of common people. Everyday, 15km of new railway tracks are being laid in the country. Products of local artisans are being promoted through One Station One Product Scheme and Ekta Mall." The CM said his government is getting assistance from the Centre for the development of Maharashtra and thanked PM Modi for launching various projects in the state.
Shinde informed that an Ekta Mall will be set up at Ulwe in Navi Mumbai The mall will be helpful in promoting national integration, 'Make in India', District One Product (ODOP) concept and also help rural artisans to sell their products.
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