Team News Riveting
Raipur, August 13
Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), a part of diversified Jindal Group conglomerate led by Naveen Jindal, had added another feather to its cap by supplying rails to the Joka-Esplanade metro in Kolkata.
The project would be India’s first Metro to run on indigenously manufactured rails. JSPL had delivered the first batch of head hardened rail produced at the company’s Raigarh plant, meant for high speed rails. JSPL is currently supplying 3000 tonnes of head hardened rails to Kolkata Metro.
All the metro lines that have been built so far have used head hardened rails imported from Japan, Europe and other foreign companies. Trains will run on the tracks at a speed of 250 km per hour as it had been specially designed at the Raigarh plant.
These tracks are much stronger than common rail tracks. The Joko-Esplanade metro is laying 1080 grade head hardened rail tracks manufactured by JSPL using an additional heat treatment system. This is a major step of JSPL in the direction of self-sufficiency of the country.
“Jindal Steel & Power Limited is the only company in India to produce head hardened rails at its Raigarh plant in Chhattisgarh,” Chief Operating Officer of JSPL Chhattisgarh D K Saraogi said. Now 20 percent of the requirement of head hard rails in India will be supplied from indigenous sources, which is a big opportunity for JSPL.
Saraogi said it was a major achievement in terms of the goal of Make in India and self-reliant India, because the manufacturing of these tracks in the country would not only reduce the cost but also transport it in less cost and time. Besides, it would also save foreign exchange.
