Zones Production Units Of Indian Railways

Production Units of Indian Railways – RRB Exam Capsule

Disclaimer All data are authorised through the Railway Board’s 2024-25 Year Book & budget documents. Figures are taken from the latest CAG report 2023-24.

1. What is a Production Unit (PU)?

  • Status: Factories that work directly under the Railway Board (not under any Zone).
  • Function: Indigenous design, manufacture, repair & overhaul of rolling stock, components & high-tech systems.
  • Finance: Plan-Head-53 (Capital-outlay).
  • Accounting: Separate “Demand No. 16” in Railway Budget.
  • First PU: Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) – 1950.
  • Youngest PU: Green-Field Loco Complex, Marhowrah (now DMW, Patliputra) – 2018.

2. 8 Production Units – At a Glance

# Name (Year) Location (State) Core Product Annual Installed Capacity* FY 23-23 Production ISO Cert.
1 CLW (1950) Chittaranjan (W.B.) Electric Locos 350 locos 343 ISO 9001, 14001, 45001
2 DLW (1961) Varanasi (U.P.) Diesel Locos 275 locos 268 ISO 9001, 14001
3 ICF (1955) Chennai (T.N.) Passenger Coaches 4000 coaches 3924 ISO 9001
4 RCF (1982) Kapurthala (Pb.) Passenger Coaches 2500 coaches 2361 ISO 9001
5 BEML-RC (1979) Bangalore (Kr.) Rail-coaches, Metro cars 350 cars 314 ISO 9001
6 DMW (2018) Marhowrah (Br.) Diesel locos (HHP) 120 locos 97 ISO 9001
7 RWF (1978) Yelahanka (Kr.) Wheels, Axles, Wheel-sets 200 k wheels 188 k ISO 9001, 14001
8 MRWF (2012) Lalgola (W.B.) Wheels (Green-field) 100 k wheels 86 k ISO 9001

* Installed capacity = rated on 2-shift basis (Source: RB-PB 2024-25).

3. Auxiliary & Sister Units (often asked with PUs)

Unit Parent PU Product
COE, Budge-Budge (1968) CLW Electrical equipment over-haul
COE, Jhansi (1976) DLW Diesel loco POH
COE, Kanchrapara (1961) CLW Loco electrical repair
Rail Spring Karkhana, Gwalior (1979) RCF Bogie-springs, safety springs
Rail Wheel Plant, Bela (2013) RWF Forged wheels (import substitute)

4. Milestones & Records

  • First Indigenous: Steam loco (CLW, 1950); Electric (CLW, 1961); Diesel (DLW, 1968).
  • 100 % electrification target by 2030 → DMW converted to manufacture only 9000 HP electric locos (2022).
  • “Make in India” tag: All PUs reserved for domestic procurement (except some critical imports).
  • Highest ever loco production: 739 locos (CLW, FY 22-23).
  • ICF became world’s largest single-site coach factory (2019) overtaking Germany’s Siemens plant.
  • RWF exports wheels to 30 countries (earned ₹ 420 cr forex in FY 23-24).

5. Budget & Manpower (2024-25 BE)

PU Allocation (₹ cr) Employees (sanctioned) Women %
CLW 1,850 12,700 12
DLW 1,750 9,600 11
ICF 3,200 17,400 18
RCF 2,100 10,300 15
DMW 1,100 2,400 9
RWF 650 4,100 13
MRWF 300 1,200 10
BEML-RC 450 3,100 14

6. Quick-Fire Memory Codes

“CDI RRR DBM” – C for CLW, D for DLW, I for ICF, R for RCF, R for RWF, R for MRWF, D for DMW, B for BEML-RC.
“1950-CLW, 1955-ICF, 1961-DLW” → 50-55-61 = 3 oldest.
“South has ICF & BEML-RC; North has RCF; East has CLW & MRWF; West-Bihar has DMW” → Zonal grouping.

7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question:01 Which of the following is Indian Railways’ first Production Unit?

A) Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi
B) Integral Coach Factory, Chennai
C) Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, Chittaranjan
D) Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala

Show Answer

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), set up in 1950 in West Bengal, is the first production unit of Indian Railways, initially manufacturing steam locomotives.

Question:02 Where is the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) located?

A) Patiala, Punjab

B) Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

C) Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

D) Jamshedpur, Jharkhand

Show Answer

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: The Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), now part of Banaras Locomotive Works, is situated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

Question:03 Which Production Unit set the world record for manufacturing the highest number of coaches in a single financial year?

A) RCF, Kapurthala

B) ICF, Chennai

C) MCF, Raebareli

D) BEML, Bengaluru

Show Answer

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai produced 4,256 coaches in FY 2022-23, the highest ever by any rail coach plant globally.

Question:04 Which of the following is the only Public-Sector Undertaking (PSU) that is also officially categorised as a Production Unit by the Railway Board?

A) BHEL – Jhansi Unit
B) BEML Ltd. – Rail Coach Division, Bangalore
C) RITES – Gurgaon Plant
D) CONCOR – Dadri Terminal

Show Answer

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: BEML Ltd. is a PSU under the Ministry of Defence, but its Rail Coach Division at Bangalore has been recognised by the Railway Board as a Production Unit (PU), making it the only PSU with this dual status.

Question:05 Which Production Unit was set up under the 100 % electrification policy and no longer manufactures diesel locomotives, having switched to 9000 HP electric freight locomotives in 2022?

A) CLW, Chittaranjan
B) DMW, Marhowrah
C) BLW, Varanasi
D) DLW, Patiala

Show Answer

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Diesel Loco Modernisation Works (DMW), Marhowrah was established under the 100 % electrification policy and has ceased diesel locomotive production, converting to manufacture 9000 HP electric freight locomotives in 2022.

Question:06 What is the combined installed capacity (in locomotives) of all Production Units for Indian Railways locomotives?

A) 950 locos

B) 1,045 locos

C) 1,120 locos

D) 1,200 locos

Show Answer

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: The aggregate installed capacity is 1,045 locomotives, comprising CLW-350, DLW-275, DMW-120, and the balance BEML-RC for shunting locomotives.

Question:07 Which Production Unit is responsible for exporting rail wheels to Europe and Africa?

A) Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka (RWF)

B) Integral Coach Factory, Chennai

C) Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi

D) Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala

Show Answer

Correct Answer: A

Explanation: Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka (RWF) is the dedicated PU that manufactures and exports rail wheels to European and African markets.

Question:08 Perambur is famously associated with which production unit?

A) Rail Wheel Factory, Bengaluru
B) Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai
C) Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi
D) Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala

Show Answer

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Perambur, a suburb of Chennai, is the location of the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), India’s premier coach manufacturing unit.

Question:09 Which of the following is the newest wheel-producing unit of Indian Railways?

A) Rail Wheel Factory, Bangalore (RWF)

B) Modern Rail Wheel Factory, Lalgola (MRWF)

C) Wheel & Axle Plant, Yelahanka (WAP)

D) Rail Wheel Plant, Bela (RWP)

Show Answer

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Modern Rail Wheel Factory, Lalgola (MRWF), commissioned in 2012, is the newest dedicated wheel-producing facility of Indian Railways.

Question:10 Which ministry directly controls the Production Units of Indian Railways?

A) Ministry of Defence

B) Ministry of Railways (Railway Board)

C) Respective Zonal Railways

D) Ministry of Heavy Industries

Show Answer

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Production Units are owned and controlled by the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) and are not placed under any Zonal Railway.

8. 15 High-Frequency MCQs (with Answers)

  1. The first Production Unit set up after independence to manufacture steam locomotives was
    A. DLW B. ICF C. CLW D. RCF
    Ans. C

  2. In which state is the Diesel Locomotive Works situated?
    A. Bihar B. Uttar Pradesh C. Punjab D. West Bengal
    Ans. B

  3. Integral Coach Factory was established with collaboration from
    A. Alstom B. Bombardier C. Swiss Car & Elevator D. Siemens
    Ans. C

  4. The youngest Production Unit producing 9000 HP electric locos is
    A. DMW B. RWF C. MRWF D. BEML
    Ans. A

  5. Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka, is located in
    A. Karnataka B. Tamil Nadu C. Kerala D. Andhra Pradesh
    Ans. A

  6. Which among the following is NOT a Production Unit?
    A. COE Jhansi B. CLW C. RCF D. ICF
    Ans. A

  7. The largest coach-manufacturing unit in the world in single location is
    A. RCF B. ICF C. BEML D. Alstom, SriCity
    Ans. B

  8. The total number of Production Units under Railway Board is
    A. 6 B. 7 C. 8 D. 9
    Ans. C

  9. Which PU was originally set up to meet the requirement of diesel locos for Eastern Railway?
    A. CLW B. DLW C. DMW D. RCF
    Ans. B

  10. The financial outlay for Production Units is booked under which Demand No. in Railway Budget?
    A. 11 B. 14 C. 16 D. 21
    Ans. C

  11. Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
    A. CLW – Diesel Loco B. DLW – Electric Loco C. RWF – Wheels D. ICF – Freight Wagon
    Ans. C

  12. The Modern Rail Wheel Factory was set up in 2012 at
    A. Raebareli B. Lalgola C. Dankuni D. Palakkad
    Ans. B

  13. Which of the following PUs is ISO 45001 certified for Occupational Health & Safety?
    A. CLW B. RCF C. DMW D. MRWF
    Ans. A

  14. The Rail Coach Division of BEML Ltd. is situated at
    A. Mysuru B. Bengaluru C. Bhilai D. Pune
    Ans. B

  15. “Kapurthala” is famous for which Production Unit?
    A. RCF B. RWF C. CLW D. DMW
    Ans. A

Last updated: 15 July 2024 | Source compilation: Railway Board Year Book 2024, Pink-Book 2024-25, CAG Audit Report No. 6 of 2024.

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