Wagon buying chugs along at slow pace

Falls 40% short of target in first four months of FY26

- DHRUVAKSH SAHA

Amid ongoing issues in manufacturing of wheelsets for rail wagons, the Indian Railways is experiencing a continued shortage in wagon procurement from the private sector, falling 40 per cent short of its target in the first four months of FY26, according to officials in the know of the matter.

While private companies are responsible for manufacturing the wagons, the wheelsets for them are supplied only by railways through its production units, including the Rail Wheel Factory (RWF) in Bengaluru.

As of July, the Ministry of Railways has managed to procure around 6,703 wagons from the private and public sector undertakings, 5,300 short of its fourmonth target of 12,000 wagons. Accounting for both railway workshops and the domestic industry, the ministry is running 40 per cent short of its target so far, a senior official said.