Set up railway coach factory in Palakkad: CM to Centre

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan today asked the central government to set up the proposed railway coach factory in Kanjikode, Palakkad district, itself.

In a letter to railway minister Piyush Goyal, a copy of which was released to the press, the chief minister said building light-weight broad gauge coaches was the main objective of the factory.

The decision to set up the factory was announced in the 2008-9 union budget and state government had extended full support to the proposal, he said.

About 240 acres of land had been acquired for the factory years ago and the people of the state have been waiting for it with great expections, the chief minister said.

It was understood that the railways was considering to have the new factory as part of the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, Vijayan said.

A similar factory in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, was proposed in the 2008-9 budget and the unit was commissioned in 2012, he said.