New Delhi (PTI): The detailed project report of the proposed rail coach factory in Kerala's Palakkad has been submitted to the Railway Board and the land promised by the State government for the project inspected, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Friday.

"However, the time for completion of the project and people likely to be employed cannot be furnished at this stage," Minister of State for Railways E Ahamed said in a written reply.

The detailed project report, prepared by RITES, has already been scrutinised by the Railway Ministry and requisite approval taken.

He said the abstract cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 1,215.76 crore.

The coach factory in the State is being set up to meet the increasing requirement of passenger coaches in the country.

Railways also proposes to set up a rail coach factory in Rae Bareilly at a cost of Rs 1,685 crore for producing 1000 coaches and another in Kancharapara-Halisahar Railway complex in West Bengal, the setting of which was announced by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Budget.

The unit, which will manufacture about 500 EMU and MEMU and metro coaches, will come up under the PPP mode.

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