Railways to increase rolling stock output

The Railways will focus on augmentation of rolling stock output, Member (Mechanical) Alok Johri said today.
"Whether it is coaches or locomotives, efforts will be made to increase the production," he told PTI after assuming charge at the Railway Board here.
Railways have a target of manufacturing about 450 LHB coaches in the current fiscal.
Linke Holfmann Busch (LHB) coaches are the passenger compartments of Indian Railways that have been developed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany.
"The demand for LHB coaches is more so we have to ensure enhancement of the output accordingly. Besides Rajdhani and Shatabdi, we have to equip all Duronto trains with the LHB coaches," Johri said.

LHB coaches are being manufactured at Kapurthala and Rae Bareli coach factories.

On the resource crunch scenario, he said, "More and more joint venture and PPP models will be explored to tide over the situation."
He said special efforts will be undertaken to preserve heritage line in the country. "We want to preserve Gwalior- Shivpuri line as it is our heritage property," he said, and added that the Rewari loco shed was meant to preserve heritage locomotives.
On the proposed Marhora diesel locomotive factory, he said, "Credential verifications of bidders are going on. Documents submitted by the bidders are being examined and it will take some time to complete the process."

Four multinational bidders, including two Chinese companies, have submitted request for quotations.