Hyderabad: Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav will inspect the long-awaited Kazipet Railway Manufacturing Unit (RMU) located in Warangal on Saturday.
Addressing the media on Friday, he said the RMU, which has been a goal for regional stakeholders since the tenure of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, is now nearing completion, with over 70% of the construction finished.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the RMU, which is being constructed under his directives. A sanctioned budget of Rs 521 crore has been allocated, with an additional Rs 200 crore under consideration. The RMU will manufacture train engines, coaches, and wagons, dispelling earlier claims by the previous BRS government that its focus would be solely on cleaning wagons. This project is expected to create both permanent and contract-based employment opportunities, along with ancillary industries such as hospitality, transport, and training centers around the unit.
He said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav is scheduled to visit Kazipet on Saturday at 1:30 PM to personally assess the progress. He said production is expected to commence early next year.
Additional infrastructure initiatives include the Center’s push to establish a mega textile park in Warangal, making it an industrial counterpart to Hyderabad. Reddy reiterated that while the Central Government is proactive, successive state governments have not matched this enthusiasm, particularly concerning the proposed airport in Warangal, which is still awaiting land acquisition. Former Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia engaged directly with the state, but progress has stalled.
The Center has completed half of the Warangal Ring Road, with the remaining portion pending collaboration from the state government. In terms of rail connectivity, efforts have been made to expand the MMTS Phase-2, inaugurated by PM Modi, and construction has begun on a new railway station at Komuravelli, which is set to open by January in honor of Mallanna Swamy.
Further modernization of Telangana’s rail network includes an allocation of Rs 720 crore for upgrading Secunderabad station, along with developments at Nampally and Kacheguda stations, and a women-managed Begumpet station. Thirty-seven stations are already under development and are expected to be completed by June. In total, 40 stations are planned for transformation, integrating local culture into their design.
