Aditya Birla Group flagship Hindalco Industries, and Texmaco Rail & Engineering today entered into a strategic alliance to develop and manufacture aluminium rail wagons and coaches that will help the Railways achieve emission goals and boost operating efficiency.

The companies will aim to build a world-class manufacturing facility in the country, Hindalco said in a statement. Through this partnership, the two companies will help Indian Railways achieve its emission goals and bolster operating efficiency.

The two firms are in the process of identifying the land for setting up manufacturing units in the Eastern region with an investment of Rs 200 crore and hope to commission it in the next 18-24 months, a PTI report quoting company officials said.

Hindalco will provide profiles, sheets and plates of its unique aluminium alloys, along with fabrication and welding expertise. The company’s in-house aluminium freight rake launched last year is 180 tons lighter and offers 19% higher payload to tare weight ratio, consumes less energy with relatively negligible wear and tear.

While, Texmaco will bring in technical expertise and be responsible for the design, setup of the factory, and production line, and will provide skilled workers.

The Railways has launched 'mission 3,000 mt' with a target of doubling freight capacity to reach 3,000 million tonnes by 2027 by augmenting its rolling stock, and help to achieve a 45 per cent market share in freight.

To meet this ambitious target, the Railways is seeking to improve wagon design, and inviting wagon manufacturers to contribute their own designs to enhance overall capacity and the life of railway assets.

Recognizing these, Hindalco and Texmaco, which is into specialized engineering, have joined hands to explore opportunities.

“With the launch of India’s first aluminium rake, we have demonstrated the benefits of higher payload and significant CO2 reduction that aluminium rakes offer. This partnership will further strengthen our role in enhancing the value proposition for the freight industry as well as for passenger mobility, while helping the Railways achieve its net zero objective,” Satish Pai, Managing Director of Hindalco Industries, said.

“This partnership will go a long way in creating innovative and sustainable products further reinforcing our commitment towards reducing the industry’s carbon footprint and driving a positive environmental impact,” Indrajit Mookerjee, Vice-Chairman of Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd, said.

Sudipta Mukherjee, Deputy Managing Director, Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd. added “this partnership holds tremendous potential in supporting the Indian Railways in its pursuit of the introduction of efficient rolling stock with a lesser carbon footprint.”

An indigenous facility that can make high-quality aluminium wagons, coaches, large containers, and components will greatly supplement the Central Government’s fast-paced development of dedicated freight corridors that aims to boost efficiency and reduce freight tariffs, he added.