New Delhi: The Union Cabinet today approved the setting up of a new Rail Coach Manufacturing unit at Palakkad in Kerala to manufacture 400 coaches per annum at an estimated cost of Rs.550 crore (excluding the cost of land) as a Joint Venture in which Railways shall contribute 26% of the equity.

The new coach building plant will be set up at Palakkad in Kerala where land to the extent of about 239 acres is available for use which will be purchased by the Railways from the Government of Kerala.

This will help Indian Railways in ensuring timely availability of passenger coaches to meet the increasing demands of passenger transportation. It shall also ensure induction of state of the art aluminium coaches on Indian Railways.

The work on this project will commence during 2012-13 and will be completed within a period of 36 months.