SAIL, is foraying into passenger railway coach manufacturing and is looking at the possibility of entering railway track laying.
“We have a number of proposals lying before the Railway Board. We want to expand the scope of relationship beyond manufacturing EMU and DMU coaches,” SAIL chairman Mr C S Verma said here on Saturdayy after meeting Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee to update her on investment plans in the state.
“The chief minister has extended her cooperation for the projects we have undertaken in the state,” he said.
Though Mr Verma did not say anything about expediting SAIL’s proposals with the Railway Board, it is believed that he sought Ms Banerjee’s help in clearing the projects pending with the board. The Railway portfolio is with Ms Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.
SAIL is executing a wagon factory project at Kulti in the state, at a cost of Rs 200 crore, jointly with the Railways and the construction work is expected to commence soon.
Earlier, Mr Verma said he was looking at the possibility of entering railway track laying and renewal. SAIL was also understood to have held talks with a few leading European rail technology companies to take its plans forward.