Jamalpur Workshop Expansion in Spotlight Ahead of Bihar Polls
Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw in Jamalpur in Bihar (Image Railways Ministry)
Bihar’s Railway Infrastructure Gets Boost with ₹79 Crore Jamalpur Workshop Expansion
By AMIT KUMAR
PATNA, May 23, 2025 – Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw laid the foundation stone for a ₹78.96 crore wagon Periodic Overhauling (POH) capacity augmentation project at the Jamalpur Locomotive Workshop in Bihar’s Munger district on Thursday, marking a significant step toward strengthening the state’s railway infrastructure.
The event, attended by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) and Bihar Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, showcased the Modi government’s commitment to modernizing Bihar’s rail network.
The Ministry of Railways in a media statement said that “the ₹79 crore project will enhance the workshop’s capacity to overhaul up to 800 wagons annually”. This will improve turnaround times and wagon availability for smoother railway operations, added the national transporter.
“This will lead to increased efficiency and better service delivery across the region,” Vaishnaw said during the event. Vaishnaw, who arrived in Patna to meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and discuss ongoing railway projects, conducted a window-trailing inspection from Patna to Jamalpur.
He also inspected redevelopment work at Jamalpur station, budgeted at ₹30 crore, and visited key facilities at the workshop, including the wagon manufacturing and crane shops. The minister reviewed the production of BOXN wagons, BLCS wagons, brake vans with toilets, a 140-tonne crane, an 8-wheeler tower car, and the iconic Jamalpur Jack, as per a Ministry of Railways press release.
At the Indian Railway Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE) in Jamalpur, Vaishnaw released a booklet titled Centre of Excellence, outlining a ₹350 crore investment plan to develop infrastructure and training in welding, pneumatics, hydraulics, and mechatronics. “Under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar’s railway infrastructure is witnessing a giant leap,” Vaishnaw said, highlighting a tenfold increase in budgetary allocation from ₹1,000 crore a decade ago to ₹10,000 crore today. He noted that 98 stations in Bihar are being redeveloped as Amrit Bharat Stations, with railway projects worth ₹1 lakh crore underway.
Union Minister Lalan Singh praised Vaishnaw’s “micro-level thinking and holistic approach” to development, while Deputy Chief Ministers Choudhary and Sinha thanked the Railways for boosting Bihar’s growth.
The Jamalpur project is part of a broader push to enhance Bihar’s connectivity, following the Union Cabinet’s October 2024 approval of a ₹4,553 crore double-line railway project covering 256 km from Narkatiaganj to Muzaffarpur via Sitamarhi and Darbhanga, connecting to Nepal and Northeast India.
“The Jamalpur initiative is expected to be completed within five years, reinforcing Bihar’s role as a key hub in India’s railway network and supporting economic growth in the Mithilanchal region,” said the Railways in its statement.
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