RITES, a Government of India Enterprise, has started construction of traction alternator factory (TAF) for Indian Railways at Vidisha (MP). The factory is being set up in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Prime Minister and will enable Railways to manufacture traction alternators for high horsepower diesel locomotives in-house, which are presently being imported.
Recently, the foundation stone for the TAF was laid by Suresh Prabhu, Minister for Railways in the presence of Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs of India, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. Several senior officers from the Railways, RITES limited, and MP Government were also present.
This project is sanctioned in works programme of the Ministry of Railways at a cost of `60 crore. The planned capacity of the factory is for manufacture of 100 traction alternators and overhaul of 600 traction motors per annum. The traction alternators to be manufactured at TAF, Vidisha are highly complex machines and would be used in 4,500 HP diesel electric locomotives. The Railways need about 100 traction alternators motors in a year and most of these are being imported at present. Similarly, the requirement of traction motors overhaul for Indian Railways is about 600 per annum. This activity is presently being outsourced. With the setting up of TAF, Vidisha, IR would be able to undertake this activity in-house at a substantially reduced cost.
The turnover of the factory, once fully functional, is expected to be `180 crore per annum. The factory will provide direct employment to about 150 personnel besides spin-off effect for manufacture of sub-assemblies/components by ancillary industries as also other economic activities in the area.