LHB coach maintenance unit goes to Bhusawal

Nagpur: In a setback to Nagpur, the major maintenance and periodic overhaul (POH) plant for over 100 Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) design coaches has gone to Bhusawal.
On October 30, 2018 the Central Railway headquarters at Mumbai had submitted a proposal to the Railway Board to set up the Rs507.64 crore plant at Kalmeshwar near Nagpur. TOI was first to report about it on December 3, 2018.

In a turnaround, Manoj Joshi, principal chief mechanical engineer (PCME), Central Railway, on December 6, 2018 has written to executive director, mechanical (projects), Railway Board, to shift the project to Bhusawal. The fresh move has general manager’s approval.

Nagpur Central Railway divisional railway manager (DRM) Maninder Singh Uppal said, “I’m not aware of the development and hence can’t comment. I have not received any such communication either from the headquarters or the Railway Board.”

The prime reason for shifting the project to Bhusawal is availability of land. In Kalmeshwar, the Central Railway had to acquire 100-150 acres of land for the project whereas Bhusawal already has land and will save on cost by around Rs35.50 crore.

The earlier sent proposal was for Rs507.64 crore. “As land is available, if the plant is set up at Bhusawal, the estimated cost will reduce to Rs472.14 crore,” said senior Central Railway officials.

Bhusawal Division DRM RK Yadav said, “Recently, we vacated 150-acre railway land by removing encroachments. This land can be made available for the plant. It may take 3 to 4 years to complete the project.”

“Bhusawal is a junction strategically located and logistically suitable as most of the due coaches will be detached in Mumbai and Pune area,” said Yadav.

The Central Railway proposal will be included in 2019 budget. The immediate need to set up LHB maintenance facility is following the closure of 139-year-old Parel workshop in Mumbai, which used to do POH of LHB coaches but is now being converted into a full-fledged terminus. The Railway Board has allocated Rs193 crore for the same.

Bharatiya Yatri Kendra (BYK) general secretary Basant Kumar Shukla termed the Central Railway decision as unfortunate. “Political leadership seems to ignore development of railways here. Despite heavyweight ministers and chief minister hailing from Nagpur, we will lose the project now,” Shukla said.

Railway Yatri Sangh (RYS) leader Brijbhushan Shukla said the project would have generated huge direct and indirect employment to at least 6,000 people from Vidarbha region.