Latur: Several railway coaches have undergone production at the newly constructed Marathwada Rail Coach Factory near Latur on MIDC area in extended Barshi area. A "Vande Bharat" express train inaugurated on Saturday between Jalna and Mumbai had its coaches built in Latur factory.
Despite housing the production facility for Vande Bharat coaches, residents of Latur still await the convenience of this premium train service. The current situation stands as "Latur builds 'Vande Bharat' coaches, but supplies them across the country..."
Latur Factory: The Fourth in India
Inaugurated in 2021, the Latur factory is the fourth such facility in the country equipped to manufacture railway coaches. However, a lack of skilled workforce continues to delay full-fledged production. Private contractors have been engaged to address this gap.
The current network comprises four coach manufacturing factories across India: Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Kapurthala in Punjab, Rae Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, and Latur in Maharashtra. Of these, the Chennai and Kapurthala factories were established in 1955 and 1896, respectively, while Rae Bareilly's dates back to 2009. Latur's factory marks the fourth and first in Marathwada.
Latur Factory Highlights:
- Located 18 kilometers from Latur city, spanning 350 acres.
- 120 acres of construction work completed.
- Production goals are 250 coaches annually in phase one, 400 in phase two, and 700 in phase three.
Hope for Vande Bharat Production:
The General Manager is scheduled to conduct speed trials in the first week of January. Following a technical assessment, the possibility of utilizing the Latur factory for "Vande Bharat" production cannot be ruled out. Demands for a "Vande Bharat" service on the Latur-Mumbai route have been persistent for several days