“With the launch of high-speed trains and increased rail connectivity across the country, the demand for forged wheels is set to rise dramatically. Our goal is to reduce dependence on imports by boosting local production,” a senior official said on Friday.As part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited a factory set up for production of forged rail wheels in Tamil Nadu on Friday. “The wheels made in this factory will not only cater to the needs of the Railways but will also be exported. The factory will rank among the world’s top three forged wheel plants,” he said.The Railways has been importing forged wheels for locomotives and coaching stock since 1960 from the UK, Czech Republic, Brazil, Romania, Japan, China, Ukraine and Russia. Besides 40,000 wheels by SAIL, 21,000 are produced in a Raebareli factory. To meet the demand, the Railways had floated tenders for setting up a new plant with assured off-take of 80,000 wheels per annum in the next 20 years.
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