Railways increases wheel imports as LPG crisis, machinery breakdown hit production at Raebareli plant

New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI) The Railway Ministry has increased imports of wheels for mail and express trains after production was hit by a shortage of LPG supply and breakdown of machinery at its Forged Wheel Plant in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh. The issue was discussed during the recently concluded second quarterly meeting of senior officials from the Railway Board, its three wheel manufacturing units -- Rail Wheel Factory, Bengaluru; Rail Wheel Plant, Bela; and Forged Wheel Plant, Raebareli -- as well as other suppliers, including SAIL's Durgapur Steel Plant and the Metal and Steel Factory, Ishapore. "Due to the shortage of LPG supply and breakdown of important M&P (machinery and plant equipment), wheel production at FWP/MCF/RBL (Forged Wheel Plant at the Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli) has been adversely affected, resulting in reduced production of LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) wheels," the minutes of the meeting, circulated by the Railway Ministry to the officials concerned, said. It added, "The current supply gap is being addressed through imports to the extent possible, with additional supplies from M/s Ramkrishna Forgings Limited under the long-term Wheel Agreement expected from August onwards." According to the ministry's planned allocation for the second quarter of FY 2026-27, these manufacturing units are expected to produce 51,685 wheels and 22,000 wheelsets (each comprising two wheels and one axle). The meeting noted that Rail Wheel Factory, Bengaluru, and Rail Wheel Plant, Bela, performed satisfactorily during the first quarter and met their supply targets. "The problem arose at the Raebareli plant due to the LPG shortage and machinery breakdown, and it failed to meet its production target. This has necessitated an increase in imports," officials said. They added, "Railways already has an agreement with Ramkrishna Forgings Ltd for the supply of forged wheels. However, under the long-term Wheel Agreement, supplies are expected to commence from August 2026 onwards." While cast wheels used in freight trains are manufactured at the Railways' plants in Bengaluru and Bela, forged wheels used in LHB coaches, Vande Bharat trains and certain locomotives are produced at the Raebareli plant and SAIL's Durgapur Steel Plant. The Metal and Steel Factory in Ishapore supplies axles. Officials said the Railways has been importing various types of forged wheels required for locomotives and LHB coaching stock since the 1960s from the UK, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Romania, Japan, China, Ukraine and Russia. They added that although indigenous production began later, domestic manufacturing still does not meet the entire demand, and a significant share of forged wheels continues to be imported every year. According to the Railway Ministry, during 2024-25, wheels worth approximately Rs 900 crore were imported from China and Russia-Ukraine, while another 40,000 wheels were procured from the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). "A forged wheel is manufactured through a highly specialised process using extremely high pressure, unlike cast wheels, which are made by pouring molten steel into a mould. Forged wheels are stronger, more fatigue-resistant, and are ideal for high-speed trains," a railway official said. During the quarterly review meeting, Railway Ministry officials also observed that the demand projections for LHB wheels submitted by some Zonal Railways and production units were higher than the actual requirement. PTI JP JP RUK RUK