Production
Units &
Workshops of
Indian
Railways ‐
Need for
professional
management
Suggestions for
optimum utilization of
infrastructure &
resources
K.V.RAMESH, SSE, ICF
Senior Joint General secretary IRTSA
rameshirtsa@yahoo.co.in
Part‐A
PRODUCTION UNITS OF INDIAN RAILWAYS
Adapting to dynamic changes
Despite of heavy limitations imposed on them
2
A.1. Production units of Indian Railways
A.1.1 Production units of Indian Railways are catering the need of Loco and Coach requirements of IR
over the years (Requirement during XII five year plan is given in Annexure-I of Part-A). Besides its’ own
PUs Railways is also getting coaches regularly from BEML Bangalore a Public Sector Unit. In the
recent years IR also ventured into purchasing entire formation of trains from private firms, IR’s
Production Units are
Sl. No Name Abbr. Year Estd Location Main products
1. Chittaranjan Locomotive Works CLW 1947 Chittaranjan Electric Locomotives
2. Integral Coach Factory ICF 1952 Chennai Passenger coaches
3. Diesel Locomotive Works DLW 1961 Varanasi Diesel Locomotives
4 Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works DMW 1981 Patiala Diesel-electric Locomotives
5. Rail Wheel Factory RWF 1984 Bangalore Wheels and axles
6. Rail Coach Factory RCF 1986 Kapurthala Passenger coaches
7. Rail Spring Karkhana * RSK 1988 Gwalior Passenger coach springs
8. Rail Wheel Factory ** RWF 2012 Chhapra Railway wheels
9. Rail Coach Factory ** RCF 2012 Raebareli Passenger coaches
10 Diesel Component Factory ** 2013 Dankuni Diesel Loco components
*Doesn’t have the status of fully fledged production unit ** Not started fully fledged production
A.1.2. The main Production Units of the Indian Railways in Locomotives sections are:
i.Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Chittaranjan: This locomotive factory is the oldest in
India with its inauguration held on January 26th, 1950. CLW, as it is often referred to,
deals with the production of steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, electric locomotives
and AC electric locomotives.
ii.Diesel-Loco Modernisation Works, Patiala: This factory was primarily referred to as the
Diesel Component Works ands was set in the year 1981. This factory was set to
manufacture electric and diesel locomotives spare parts. Traction motors, rebuilding
engine blocks, traction generators and motors and locomotive power packs form the
basic production of this factory.
iii.Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi: This factory was set in the year 1961 and produced
its first locomotives in the year 1964. This factory produces locomotives in-house like
engines, fabricated bogies, superstructures and underframes. DLW specializes in
producing diesel locomotives and mostly diesel electrics. Of late, this factory has also
started producing equipments for industries other than railways.
A.1.3 Rolling Stock for the Indian Railways are produced at:
i. Integral Coach Factory, Chennai: This factory was set in the year 1955 to build
coaches. The production rate of this factory has been par excellence and today it
manufactures around 170 types of coaches. EMU, DMU, monitoring vehicles and diesel
railcars are also produced by this factory.
ii. Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala: This factory was set in the year 1987 and first
production of this factory came out in the year 1988. Since 1991, this factory has been
producing air-conditioned coaches with AC units mounted on the roof and air braked
coaches. The factory specializes in the design and development of light weight high
speed coaches.
iii. Rail Coach Factory, Raebareli: New production unit for coaching stock started its
production activities in the year 2012. Coaches manufactured in this new Coach factory
will primarily be of LHB-Alstom design, double-decker coaches, air suspension bogie,
coupler and Self Propelled Accident Relief Train (SPART).
A.1.4 For Axles and wheels, the Indian Railway production units are situated at,
i. Rail Wheel Factory, Bangalore: Formerly referred to as the Wheel and Axle Plant, was
set in the year 1984. This factory was set up to compliment the production of wheels
and axles which was being done by Durgapur Steel Plant. The annual production of this
factory is around 80,000 wheels and 50,000 axles.
ii. Rail Wheel Factory, Chhapra: Started its production in the year 2012
(Brief about individual Production Units of Indian Railways is given in Annexure-II of Part-A)
