India now exports rail gear to Europe, Australia, Saudi: Vaishnaw

The Indian Railways is growing its global presence by exporting metro coaches, locomotives, and rail components to multiple countries, Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Indian-made metro coaches are being sent to Australia, while bogies and other rail equipment are being exported to the UK, France, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and other European countries, he said.

“Today, from our country, 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 the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, France, and Australia. Along with this, the propulsion system, an important part of power electronics, is now being exported to France, Mexico, Romania, Spain, Germany, and Italy. It is a matter of great pride,” Vaishnaw said during a discussion.

The Bihar factory, initially proposed during Lalu Prasad Yadav’s tenure as railway minister, gained momentum after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, Vaishnaw said.

The minister also discussed about railway finances, saying that the sector has recovered from the challenges that were triggered by the covid-19 pandemic.

The revenue for 2023-24 was recorded at about Rs2.78 trillion, while expenses are around Rs2.75 trillion. Strong freight operations and increased exports were the reasons behind the boost, he said.

“Railways is fulfilling its expenses from its own income because of good performance. Overall, the financial condition is good, and we are trying to improve it on a constant basis,” Vaishnaw said.

Passenger fares remain heavily subsidized, with the actual cost per kilometer being Rs1.38 while passengers are charged only 73 paise, leading to a total passenger subsidy of Rs57,000 crore for the year, according to Vaishnaw.

Indian Railways was poised to become one of the top three rail networks in terms of cargo-carrying capacity in 2024-25, transporting 1.6 billion tons of freight—at par with the US and ranking second only to China.

Vaishnaw also said 1,400 locomotives are being produced in India this year, surpassing the combined production of the US and Europe. About 200,000 new wagons have also been added to the fleet.