Title - Rae Bareli rail coach factory to roll out modern Linke Holfmann Busch coaches

LUCKNOW: The Rail Coach Factory at Lalganj in Rae Bareli will be dedicated to the nation by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on November 7, during her visit to her constituency. Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal will also be present. The coaches manufactured by the factory will also be rolled out on the occasion.The coach factory will roll out modern LHB ( Linke Holfmann Busch) coaches. Although the capacity of the factory has not been defined, it is expected to meet the shortage of coaches, which the existing Rail Coach Factory, Kapoorthala and Integral Coach Factory, Chennai could not meet. Railways is facing shortage of about 1,000 coaches every year. The rail coach factory was approved in the Supplementary Railway Budget 2006-07. The foundation stone of the factory was laid by Sonia Gandhi on February 13, 2007. The land acquisition started on August 10, 2007. Land lease deed was signed with the UP government on January 16, 2009, and the construction of the boundary wall of the factory started on January 27, 2009. The factory has been constructed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). It was to come up at an estimated cost of Rs 1,685 crore. The delay in construction, however, has escalated its cost over a period of time. About Rs 2,500 was sanctioned for it.Railways has acquired land from local people for the factory. People whose land has been acquired are being given jobs by Lucknow division of the Northern Railway. The process of giving jobs started last month.Some 1,450 candidates are to be given jobs in Railways, as part of the compensation package for land acquired for the Lalganj Coach Factory. Railways acquired some 541 hectares for the factory, out of which 283 hectares was taken from private land owners. Lucknow division might give jobs to at least 1,000 persons.Recruitment, however, will be an ongoing process. In case of families not meeting the age criteria, recruitment can take place at an appropriate time. Lalganj rail coach factory has already been delayed by at least three years.