India’s first and only private sector Rail producer, Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) will install country’s first rail wheelset manufacturing plant at its Raigarh facility in Chhattisgarh.
Jindal Steel has collaborated with Hungary’s GIFLO Steel for this project. The two companies signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project at the “India Hungary Business Forum” organised by the Embassy of Hungary along with FICCI in the national capital on Friday (27 May).
The plant will have an initial capacity of 25,000 wheelsets per year.
Jindal Steel will also install a rail forging unit for asymmetric rails which are used in rail track switches, especially for high-speed train tracks, the company said in a statement on Friday (27 May).
“Rail wheelset manufacturing plant will help Indian Railways to speed up the modernization of its Rail infrastructure; by making available world-class rail wheels to realize the vision of “Gati Shakti” by the Government of India”, said V R Sharma, Managing Director of Jindal Steel, according to the company statement.
“Having its competence and understanding of the nuances of rail rolling, JSP is working to meet our country’s demand for various grades of Rails while maintaining international quality and safety standards. Our Rail mill in Raigarh has been supplying superior grades of rails to various Metro and Indian Railway projects under execution”, Sharma added.
JSPL is the only producer of Head Hardened Rail grades 1080 HH and 1175HT for a heavy axle load of more than 25 tonne and high-speed application in the country, the statement said.
JSPL also produces rails in grades R 260 and 880 for 60E1, ZU 1-60 & 60E1A1 profiles. JSPL has also supplied R350 HT Grade Rails for its overseas customers, it added.