Midhani to supply aluminium sheets for railways and metro projects

After supplying special steel for the iconic Vande Bharat, Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited or Midhani, the public sector metallurgy unit of the defence ministry is prepared to supply aluminium metal sheets, rings, special steel alloy and other materials for the construction of new generation railway as well as metro rail coaches for a variety of projects.

The publicly traded company recently provided 400 axles for contemporary trains that were previously imported from China and are currently competing for the larger quantities, amounting to roughly 18,000 axles, for the contract issued by the Railways' Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

"Our metal is being used to build fighter jets, helicopters, missiles and submarines. Hence, our credentials and capabilities are proven as well as trusted. We are ready to supply higher grade of steel for the railways which will be more durable and give a better finish. We are working with the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) for better data to improve our collaboration," said Chairman and Managing Director S.K. Jha.

A new set of permissions are required for railroads since the public sector organisation must participate in the bid process like any other enterprise, even though Midhani possesses certificates from the strategic aerospace, nuclear, and defence sectors.

"Our products developed have been indigenously. They are light weight, have high tensile strength and are corrosive resistant, therefore, they are the right fit for the requirements of the Indian Railways and metro rail projects being built across the country," added Jha.

Dr Jha further revealed that the Container Company of India (Concor) and Midhani have inked a contract to obtain the specific alloy metal that would be used to create the whole train set. In reality, the business has given thermal power plants hastelloy, a nickel-based alloy introduced last year to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions, a significant pollutant. By 2025, the Union Power Ministry has mandated the installation of metal at all thermal power plants in the nation to minimise So2 and carbon dioxide emissions.

“There is no need to source material for making metro rail coaches from abroad for projects here. We are capable to supplying the required metal for any metro rail firm in the country with necessary regulatory approvals and certifications,” mentioned Jha.