Indian Railways to set up forged wheel plant

TO meet the requirement of forged wheels for rolling stock, Indian Railways had floated a tender for setting up a manufacturing plant in the country with assured offtake of 80,000 wheels per annum for next 20 years so that the requirement is met from domestic sources. It is an important initiative in the direction Make in India Initiative for Import Substitution.

The bidding process was transparent and competitive. Tender was opened on January 24 2023. Three bids rom M/s Steel Authority of India Ltd,M/s Bharat Forge, Pune, M/s Ramakrishna Forgings, Kolkata.

Price Bid opened on March 14 2023. L1 is from M/s Ramakrishna Forgings Ltd., Kolkata. L2 is from M/s Bharat Forge, Pune, L3 is from SAIL.

The successful bidder to set up the manufacturing facility within 36 months from award date and to supply the wheels of various types at 80,000 annually. To consider the learning curve and economies of volume, the price applicable will be reduced by 2% every year up to three years and the fourth year onwards the applicable price will be 94% of the quoted price which is valid for the balance period of 20 years. The pre-determined price variation clause is applicable for the price on quarterly basis.

Indian Railways has been importing various types of forged wheels required for locomotives and coaching stock (LHB) since 1960s from UK, Czech Republic, Brazil, Romani, Japan, China, Ukraine and Russia. In this year (2022-23),

Some 80,000 wheels worth approximately 520 Crore ($4.2 billion) are imported from China and Russia, with remaining 40,000 being sourced from SAIL. Currently, due to Russia-Ukraine Crisis, all the import requirement of wheels is being met from China.

Requirement of wheels is projected to increase up t o 2 lac by 2026 onwards due to induction of more and more high speed trains.

CENTRAL Railway retains the highest revenue figures among all zones for April 2022 to February 2023, registering Rs. 78.86 crore ($9.5 million) in Non-fare revenue and Rs. 232.50 crore ($28.1 million) in parcel revenue.

Central Railway’s performance in Financial Year 2022-23 (April to February) has been impressive with a record revenue of Rs. 78.86 crore in Non-Fare Revenue as compared to Rs. 27.10 crore during the corresponding period last year, which is the highest among all zonal railways, showing an enormous increase of 191%.

Eighteen tenders were awarded through e-auction with annual licence fee of Rs.491.06 lakh

Five Contracts for external vinyl wrapping on EMUs with earnings of 243.30 lakh per annum for a period of three years awarded by Mumbai division.

Two Out of Home earnings of Rs.5.88 for a period of five by Mumbai division Home contract each tur with earnings of Per annum and with earnings of Rs.51.80 period of five years.

Four Rail Display tracts with earnings lakh per annum awarded bai division.

Truck/Tempo parking ing contract at CSMT of Rs.43.5 lakh per riod of 5 years.

Parcel revenue

Central Railway also nificant revenue [$2.8 bn] (including

Home contracts with Rs.5.88 lakh per annum years e-auctioned division and one Out of each awarded of Laof Rs.6.75 lakh and of Pune division Rs.51.80 lakh for a years.

Display Network conearnings of Rs.125.44 awarded by Mumparking cum stakCSMT with earnings per annum for a pealso registered sigof ₹232.50 crore (including Rs17.96 crore

[$218 m] in the month of February alone), through transportation of approximately 4.56 lakh [456,000] tonnes of parcel and luggage in Financial Year 2022-23 (April to February).

During the same period in the Financial Year 2022-23, some 201 trips of time-tabled parcel trains generated a revenue of ₹24.81 crore including Rs.14.97 crore through 99 trips of CSMT-Shalimar Parcel train, Rs.6.25 crore through 30 Indent Parcel Trains from Bhiwandi –Jalgaon to Azra and RS.3.59 crore through Lease Parcel Trains from Godhani to Tinsukia Junction in 22 trips.

Presently 101 SLRs and 14 VPs are on lease (out of which 50 SLRs and 2VPs have been leased through E-auction) as against 74 SLRs and five VPs leased during the corresponding period last year.

NARESH Lalwani, General Manager, Central Railway, formally flagged off a mountaineering expedition to Mount Everest. He presented Ice Axe with the flag of Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), crest of Central Railway Sports Association (CRSA) to Hemant Jadhav and Sandeep Mokashi, two railway men who are attempting the feat. The ice axe will be carried by these two when they summit the Mount Everest.

Speaking on the occasion, Lalwani said “Central Railway Adventure Sports Club members, Hemant Jadhav, Chief Office Superintendent, working in Engineering Branch and Sandeep Mokashi, Office Superintendent, Electrical branch are the first Indian Railwaymen to achieve the feat of scaling Mt.Nun peak situated at 7135 meters above sea level on 21.8.2022. Now, with the active patronisation of CRSA, they are embarking upon their expedition to Mount Everest. This expedition aims to spread the word of climate change and global warming. This expedition would be the first of its kind from Railways which is itself a record.” He also said Central Railway Sports Association has 450 active sports persons pursuing 40 types of games.

The Central Railway Adventure Sports Club under Central Railway Sports Association organizes campaigns at many forts in Maharashtra to educate the young minds about the value of trekking and forts. Additionally, they have carried out numerous rescue missions that have saved many lives, and the team engages in a variety of activities such as assisting in disaster zones, planning cycling campaigns, and educating people about the significance of cycling.

The Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) is the apex organisation under the Ministry of Railways that functions with the complete mandate of sports promotion at the national and international podiums. It is the Central Organization for all sporting activities that span national and international Games and Championships. It has presence in all the Divisions and Workshops under the jurisdiction of Central Railway. CRSA has a battery of sports persons who have achieved national and international fame.