India, June 2026 — Titagarh Rail Systems (TRSL) plans to establish full-cycle aluminium carbody manufacturing in India by spring 2027, enabling the company to produce railway coaches entirely in-house from aluminium extrusions through to finished carbodies. The investment follows the installation of specialised equipment for fabricating flat carbody panels and sub-assemblies at its Uttarpara manufacturing facility.
According to Vice Chairman and Managing Director Umesh Chowdhary, the initiative will make TRSL a vertically integrated manufacturer of both aluminium and stainless-steel railway coaches. The company previously relied on its former Italian subsidiary, Titagarh Firema, for aluminium carbodies used in Pune Metro trainsets. Following the sale of the Italian business, TRSL has shifted its focus to developing domestic manufacturing capabilities.
The move is expected to enhance the company's competitiveness in future rolling stock tenders, particularly for high-speed rail projects where lightweight aluminium carbodies are widely preferred for their energy efficiency and performance. It also aligns with India's broader "Make in India" strategy to localise advanced railway manufacturing and strengthen the domestic supply chain for next-generation rolling stock.
Beyond metro projects, domestic aluminium coach production could support future procurement of advanced trainsets, including potential aluminium-bodied variants of the Vande Bharat platform and export-oriented rolling stock. Expanding indigenous manufacturing capabilities is also expected to reduce reliance on imported components while improving production flexibility and technology ownership.
As India continues to invest in modern rail infrastructure, the localisation of aluminium rolling stock manufacturing represents an important step towards building a globally competitive railway industry capable of serving both domestic demand and international markets.
Source: Rolling Stock World
Titagarh Advances Aluminium Rail Coach Manufacturing in India
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Domestic production of lightweight rolling stock is becoming a strategic priority as countries seek to strengthen rail manufacturing capabilities and reduce import dependence. Titagarh Rail Systems is expanding its aluminium coach production capabilities in India, positioning itself to support future metro and high-speed rail programmes.
