Private sector wagon makers have more than one reason to celebrate. To start with,

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the wagon makers lapped up the announcement that the Indian Railways would acquire 18,000 new wagons in the present financial year compared with 11,000 wagons in the previous financial year.

Texmaco, which supplies nearly 25 per cent of the wagons procured by the Indian Railways, is expecting to get more wagon orders. R K Maheswari, president and chief executive officer of Texmaco, told Financial Chronicle, “The target of procuring 18,000 wagons is based on the Indian Railways' loading target of 882 million tonnes in the present financial year compared with 832 million tonnes in 2008-09. As fuel prices have been increased, there will be a diversion of freight movement from road to rail. I think the loading target will be raised soon. It can go up to 950 million tonnes”, Maheswari said.

Texmaco manufactures around 6,000 wagons per year and make at least 1,000 more this year.

Pawan Kumar Ruia, chairman of Ruia group that owns Jessop & Company, said, “The railway minister has shown commendable vision by putting the public-private partnership in the focus. From the proposed EMU coach factory at Kanchrapara to upgradation of the important stations to international standards, or developing multi-functional complexes, she (Mamata) has opened a new vista for using the resources and expertise of the private sector. This is going to bring in unprecedented growth in Indian Railways.”

“Jessop, in particular, has been manufacturing EMU coaches for the railways for many years now. We are keen to share our experience in this sector. More than 60 per cent increment in the wagon procurement target will also be a boon to Jessop, which is now ready with improved designs of wagons made of aluminium. The proposed railway land bank is yet another reflection of Banerjee’s keenness to address the pressing problems of the manufacturing industry,” he added.

Umesh Chowdhary, managing director of Titagarh Wagons, labelled the railway budget as a comprehensive policy statement in the right direction.

“As we are one of the largest wagon manufacturers in the country, we should be able to get benefit from the increased wagon offtake. We have also started manufacturing EMU and other coaches. We are targeting that business segment as a growth area, which should get support from the policies announced by the minister,” he said.

Sanjiv Goenka, vice-chairman of RPG Enterprises, branded the rail budget as “a bright, bold, refreshing one, which gives izzat to people, speed and comfort to passengers and hope and opportunities to industry.

“She has done the impossible by packing at least ten annual budgets into one,” Goenka said.