Prime Minister of India flags Pune Metro; rides in the first aluminium coach manufactured by Titagarh Wagons

The forerunner company of Titagarh Group, Titagarh Wagons Limited had secured the order for 34 Metro trains having 3 coaches each by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation for the city of Pune, located in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

However, the initial Metro train produced by Titagarh at the facilities of its subsidiary in Italy, while 31 trains will be manufactured in India by Titagarh in its facilities under the ‘Make in India’ and Self-Reliant schemes of the Indian government.

On 6 March 2022, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India flagged the Pune metro and after buying a ticket from the kiosk from an app on his mobile, took a ten-minute ride from Garware Station to Anand Nagar Station in Pune. During his travel, he interacted with the passengers including specially-abled children in the coach manufactured by Titagarh.

The Pune Metro train can accommodate 970 passengers. Now, each coach can accommodate 320 commuters and is tooled with state-of-art facilities comprising space to park a wheelchair for the disabled.

The Pune Metro coaches are lightweight, ergonomically and aerodynamically designed and the body is made of aluminium and include features like CCTV coverage, emergency button, passengers can communicate with driver/operator and travel seamlessly, have mobile and laptop charging facility etc. Besides the Metro train being light, it is also energy efficient and pertinent for a maximum speed of 95 kmph.

Umesh Chowdhary, the Managing Director and CEO of Titagarh wagons said, “We thank the visionary leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister for giving such a boost to infrastructure development in the country which will make the lives and livelihoods of millions of people much better.”

He further expressed his gratitude by saying, “The government led by the Honourable Prime Minister to encourage Indian companies to come into the sphere of hi-tech manufacturing and constantly pursuing his vision of making India self-reliant. The launch of the first Pune Metro Train is one of the most important events in the journey of Titagarh along the path of its mission- Mobility for billions and inauguration of the Metro train by the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India is a proud moment for the Group as it marks the Group's pledge to contribute to clean and energy-efficient mass urban transport for the people in India.”

“Titagarh has made significant strides in Passenger Rolling Stock manufacturing and expanded its facilities in Uttarpara, West Bengal and the first train from this facility will be rolled out in a few days. This is a state of the art facility for the production of sophisticated light body aluminium Metro coaches. The Group is participating in various other tenders for Metro coaches in India in addition to the focus on the Propulsion vertical which together presents tremendous potential for growth thanks to the continued trust and support provided by the Government of India to the Indian companies under schemes such as Make in India and encourage companies like Titagarh to become a global player."