India exporting rail coaches, other equipment to Europe, Australia and Saudi Arabia : Ashwini Vaishnaw
NEW DELHI : India is exporting metro coaches to Australia and bogies to several European countries and Saudi Arabia, Railways Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw has said, adding the public transporter would likely end FY25 among the top three freight carriers globally.
Hundred locomotives manufactured in Bihar’s Marhaura are ready for export, the minister told the Rajya Sabha said on March 17 during a discussion on railways’ budgetary allocation.
“Today, from our country, the metro coaches are being exported to Australia. The mechanical structure below the locomotive and coaches, which is called bogie or the underframe, is being exported to United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, France and Australia. Along with this the propulsion system, an important part of power electronics, is being now exported to France, Mexico, Romania, Spain, Germany and Italy. It is a matter of great pride,” Vaishnaw said.
The Marhaura factory has been set up under a public private partnership (PPP) mode, the minister said, highlighting the work done by his ministry.
“In the near future in Bihar, the Marhowra Factory, which was announced by Lalu Yadav (as then railway minister) and it got the momentum after Narendra Modi took charge in 2014, will export more than 100 locomotives soon. Thus, Made in Bihar locomotives will go around the world,” the minister said.
Bihar, where the BJP-led NDA is in power, is expected to hold assembly election later this year.
Vaishnaw, who has come under fire over the transporter’s safety record, said the Indian Railways was much safer than before with a steep fall in the number of accidents.
Railway accidents in a year have registered a 90 percent fall since 2014, the minister said and then went on to list accidents, including derailments, under his predecessors – Lalu Prasad Yadav (698), Mamata Banerjee (395),and Mallikarjun Kharge (381). According to the minister, railways now reports 73 accidents a year.
Emphasizing the growing prominence of the Indian Railways in global manufacturing, Vaishnaw said 1,400 locomotives were produced in FY25, surpassing the combined output of the US and Europe. The network has expanded its freight capacity by adding 200,000 new wagons to its fleet.
Vaishnaw added that by the end of FY25, the railways is expected to rank among the top three freight carriers globally, moving 1.6 billion tons of cargo, alongside China and the United States. This achievement reflects the expanding logistical capabilities of the railways and its crucial role in supporting the nation’s economy.
Recently, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways asked the Indian Railways to expand its business operation in exporting of rail components to enhance revenue without making any compromise on fulfilling of indigenous demand for rolling stock.
According to the committee report, railways exported rolling stocks — locomotives and passenger coaches — worth Rs 608.70 crore to Mozambique and Sri Lanka during 2022 and 2023. There was no export of rolling stocks in 2024.
Vaishnaw also said the railway has made extensive provisions to ensure that passengers receive adequate facilities and that fares remain as low as possible.
“When compared to our neighbouring countries, our fares are the lowest. For instance, for a 350 km journey, the fare in the general class is: India: Rs 121, Pakistan: Rs 436, Bangladesh: Rs 323, Sri Lanka: Rs 413,” the minister said.