Wagon manufacturing facility in Kazipet: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw claimed that the POH workshop would be upgraded into a wagon manufacturing facility

Hyderabad: After repeatedly saying that a coach factory was not feasible in Kazipet and that instead, a Periodic Wagon Overhauling Workshop (POH) would come up at Kazipet, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday claimed that the POH workshop would be upgraded into a wagon manufacturing facility at a cost of Rs.521 crore.

Addressing a press conference at BJP State unit office here, Vaishnaw said as per Schedule 13 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the feasibility of setting up Rail Coach Factory in Kazipet was examined and State government was asked to provide 160 acres of land for the project. But the State government could provide only 150 acres.

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However, the Railways decided to go ahead with the Periodic Wagon Overhauling Workshop project, but since there was now more demand for wagons than coaches, the Railways has decided to upgrade the POH into a wagon manufacturing facility.

Both wagon and coach factories are equal in complexity and value and since there are already a lot of coach factories in the country, the government has decided to go for the former, he said.