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Titagarh Rail Systems, a leading manufacturer of railway freight wagons in the private sector, is rapidly diversifying with the manufacture of passenger rail systems, including developing driverless metro trains. A critical supplier to Indian Railways, it currently produces 1,000 wagons a month.
- Also read: Railways eye faster cargo movement with 200 new Gati Shakti Terminals, worth ₹14,000 crore
The Kolkata-based company’s operations were recently expanded to keep up with its diversification, including the manufacture of Vande Bharat train sets, metro coaches and propulsion systems in the passenger railway segment.
The company, formerly Titagarh Wagons, is developing driverless metro trains in a tie-up with ABB India, the Indian arm of Swiss-Swedish power and automation group ABB. “This collaboration strengthens our expertise in propulsion systems and rolling stock, establishing us as the foremost indigenous company with proprietary technology in driverless metro propulsion systems,” says Prithish Chowdhary, Deputy CEO-Passenger Rail Systems, Titagarh Rail Systems.
“This is the first time that the technology for driverless metro propulsion will belong to an Indian firm. This forms a part of our capital expenditure,” Chowdhary explains, adding that the company has bagged orders from Surat Metro and Ahmedabad Metro, too; ABB will supply the propulsion for the two driverless metro projects.
Hopping aboard passenger trains
Titagarh Rail Systems is a new entrant in the manufacture of passenger rail systems. It has two facilities in Titagarh, apart from a passenger rail system manufacturing plant in Uttarpara, West Bengal. The Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be manufactured at the passenger rolling stock unit within the Uttarpara facility.
Prithish Chowdhary, Deputy CEO, PRS, Titagarh Rail Systems Limited
“Companies like Alstom have been the leaders in this industry (passenger rail systems). We are the new kids on the block, but once our capacity touches 850 coaches per annum, we intend to establish ourselves as the market leader in this segment as well,” Chowdhary says.
The company is India’s largest manufacturer of freight rolling stock. Its Bharatpur facility in Rajasthan manufactures wagons. Having achieved and maintained the targeted 1,000 wagons a month since December 2023, the company boasts a run rate of 12,000 wagons per year, Chowdhary says.
He also mentions a recent order from the Railways for 4,463 wagons, which would be delivered over the next 14 months.
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