Nashik: After a gap of over 37 years, Railways have made significant investment at Nashik to establish a wheel manufacturing and repair depot at a cost of Rs 53 crore.Prior to this, the Railways had set up the country’s only traction machine workshop (TMW) here in 1981.Union heavy industries minister Anant Gite on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the project in presence of Union minister of state for defence, Subhash Bhamre. The new project will come up at the premises of the traction machine workshop, which is located in Nashik Road area of the city.Railway officials said that initially over 500-wheel sets would be manufactured at the new unit and supplied to the Railway overhaul workshops located at Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.“Railways need wheel sets on a priority since network across the country is expanding rapidly. The work to prepare the detailed project report is in the final stage. Once the DPR is approved, the construction work of the project would begin,” said railway officials.The credit to set up various projects related to the railways in Maharashtra must go to the former Railway minister Suresh Prabhu and the incumbent, Piyush Goyal, said Gite, while addressing the inaugural programme.He recalled that it was the then Railway Minister Madhu Dandawate who ensured that Railways bought 250 acres in Nashik for major railway projects.“Although the major projects expected here were diverted to other regions of the country, the TMW project took shape in 1981. Both Prabhu and Goyal have done much to bring in investments in the railways sector in Maharashtra,” he added.Gite also pointed out that the Railways was fast expanding and newer tracks were being laid. Stress was also being laid on the electrification of the same.“It’s a priority for the railways to set up the wheel-set manufacturing and repairs workshop in Nashik due to growing numbers of trains – goods and passengers, and hence the demand for the spares,” Gite added.Bhamre pointed out that Centre is keen for development of Nashik. “The defence innovation hub at Ozar and the wheels manufacturing workshop at the Nashik Road indicate the attention the Union government is paying to Nashik,” he said.

Stay updated with all the Latest Nashik headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.