The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Foundation laid for wheel shop at Integral Coach Factory

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 13, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Foundation laid for wheel shop at Integral Coach Factory

Special Correspondent

Plan to increase production capacity to 1,500 coaches, says Velu

AUGMENTING PRODUCTION: R. Velu, Union Minister of State for Railways, with P. Raja Goundan, General Manager of ICF, at the laying of the foundation stone for a new wheel shop at the ICF, Chennai on Saturday. — Photo: M. Vedhan

CHENNAI: Union Minister of State for Railways R. Velu laid the foundation stone for a new wheels shop at the Integral Coach Factory, Perambur. The Minister said it planned to increase the production capacity to 1,500 coaches in the current financial year as against 1,250 last year. The Railway Ministry had sanctioned projects worth Rs.89.54 crore for the ICF. This included the new wheel shop, spot welding system, assembly fixture, material handling equipment.

General Manager P. Raja Goundan said the new wheel shop would turn out 6,000 wheel sets per annum to meet the production target of 1,500 coaches. He said the ICF received an order from the Rajasthan Tourism Corporation for another "Palace on Wheels" train. The Karnataka Tourism Corporation had also placed an order. The Minister also declared open a newly-constructed additional classroom at the ICF Silver Jubilee Primary School.

Talking to newspersons later, , the Minister said work on the Mass Rapid Transit System between Tiruvanmiyur and Velachery was over and that the Commissioner of Safety would soon inspect the new track.

The Pudukottai-Karaikudi conversion work was complete and the line would open for passenger traffic on May 19, he added.

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