Alstom India has drawn up plans to double its metro rail production capacity at its plant in Sri City, according to a top official.
Currently, the Indian arm of the French major has orders for the delivery of 248 cars for Mumbai Metro Line III, 212 cars for Montreal Metro and 10 more train sets for Chennai Metro Rail.
The Mumbai Metro Line order alone is worth about ₹2,500 crore
“Our focus is to double our footprint in India,” said Alain Spohr, managing director, India and South Asia, Alstom.
It had already completed the delivery of rolling stock for metro rail at Sydney and Lucknow.
Doubling workforce
“Currently, we are making 16 to 18 cars per month at Sri City against 20 cars per month. This will be increased to 24 cars. Besides, we are putting up second line to make another 20 cars [per month]. It will become operational by end-2019. The workforce will be doubled to 1,000,” he added.
According to him, production at Sri City started in 2014, and till date, the unit had produced 500 cars. It bagged the first international order from Sydney Metro. “About 60% of our production will cater to the domestic market while 40% will go towards exports,” he said.
Mr. Spohr said the company had invested €55 million in Sri City so far.
Mr. Spohr also informed that the production capacity at Coimbatore unit, which makes cables, traction and propulsion systems for metro rail , would also be doubled.
At the same time, the production volume of high horse power locomotives at Madhepura in Bihar would be ramped up from 7 to 15 units next year and to 55 units the following year, Mr. Spohr said.
The firm was conducting a feasibility study for manufacture of aluminium trains for the Indian market, he added.
The company is also planning to source steel locally as it would be 20% cheaper than imports.
Alstom India, on Thursday, flagged off the last train set for Sydney Metro. The last train sets for Kochi Metro would be delivered by March 2019.
