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Spanish wagon maker CAF to set up manufacturing unit in India

Lesedauer: min

Spanish rolling stock maker Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles hopes to set up a manufacturing unit in the country given its increasing scope for business in the metro railway segment. A final decision in this regard is expected by next year.

CAF, along with its joint-venture partner MELCO, has been awarded a contract for nearly INR 800 crore to supply 14 rakes (84 coaches) to the East West Metro project in Kolkata. Previously, the company supplied eight rakes for the Airport link of the Delhi Metro.

Mr Juan Jose Garcia International Division Area Director, CAF told Business Line that “We do have plans to start a manufacturing unit here. We are scouting suitable locations for setting up the unit.”

Mr Garcia, however, declined to speak on possible locations for the upcoming unit, the expected investment and product details. He said that “We are a listed company in Spain and are bound by regulatory issues.”

According to Mr Garcia, CAF, currently the fourth largest rolling stock maker in the world, has already bid for orders from upcoming metro rail projects in Hyderabad (L&T Metro Rail, Hyderabad) and Jaipur. In Hyderabad, it expects contracts for 42 rakes of three cars each. Details of the Jaipur project are yet to be finalised.

For the East West Metro in Kolkata, some rakes will be imported from Spain while others will be manufactured locally. CAF has also bid for the North-South extension project to be carried out by the Kolkata Metro authorities.

Global rolling stock majors such as Bombardier and Alstom have already built capacities in India to tap the urban rapid mass transport segment.



Source - Business Line

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