Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveils Rs 79 crore Jamalpur rail upgrade in major Bihar infrastructure push

Jamalpur/ Patna: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has laid the foundation stone for a Rs 78.96 crore project to boost wagon overhaul capacity at the historic Jamalpur Workshop in Bihar, as part of a sweeping initiative to modernise the state’s rail infrastructure.

During a high-level visit to Bihar on Friday, Vaishnaw was joined by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan alias Lallan Singh and Bihar Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. The team conducted a window trailing inspection between Patna and Jamalpur, reviewed progress on ongoing railway projects, and visited several key sites including the Jamalpur station and workshop.

At the Jamalpur Workshop, Vaishnaw inspected manufacturing units producing BOXN and BLCS wagons, brake vans with onboard toilets, and specialised equipment such as 140-tonne cranes and tower cars. Staff greeted the minister with a warm welcome, underlining the workshop’s legacy and its growing role in national rail production.

The new project aims to ramp up monthly wagon overhaul capacity from 545 to 800 units, a move officials say will improve turnaround times and increase rolling stock availability.

Vaishnaw also visited IRIMEE (Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering), where he launched a booklet titled Centre of Excellence, outlining a Rs 350 crore investment in skill and infrastructure development across disciplines like welding, pneumatics, hydraulics, and mechatronics.

Framing the visit within a broader development narrative, Vaishnaw highlighted the exponential rise in railway budgetary allocations for Bihar—from Rs 1,000 crore a decade ago to Rs 10,000 crore today. He pointed to 1,832 km of new track laid in the state, the electrification of over 50,000 km nationwide, and the recent launch of Vande Bharat and Namo Bharat trains from Bihar as milestones of the Modi government’s commitment to the region.

“With 98 stations being redeveloped and ₹1 lakh crore worth of projects in the pipeline, Bihar is at the centre of Indian Railways’ growth story,” the minister said.

Praising the Union Minister’s “micro-level thinking,” Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh described the initiatives as a holistic push for regional development. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Ministers also expressed gratitude for the Centre’s focus on state infrastructure.

The event was attended by several local MLAs, MLCs, and senior railway officials, including General Managers of East Central and Eastern Railways.