A panoramic view of JAMALPUR WORKSHOP in 1890
     

     
BIO-DATA  Area    :     5,74,654 sq. meters    
  Staff :     5,74,654 sq. meters    
  No. of Machinery and Plants :     1628    
  Power consumed     :     7 MVA    
  Water supply :     73 lakh litres /day.    
  Annual Turnover :     Rs. 156 Crores    
This is the only workshop in Indian Railways to have been equipped with its own POWER HOUSE. ( 5 MVA)
 

History of Jamalpur Locomotive Works

The Locomotive Engineering Workshop at Jamalpur ( as it was originally known) was established in the year 1862.

Established on 8th day of February 1862, the Workshop has enjoyed the distinction of being the largest and the oldest locomotive repair workshop with the most diversified manufacturing activities on the Indian Railways. The entire Workshop and colony was flattened by a devastating earthquake on 15 th. January 1934. A new Railway colony was built at Rampur. 
 
  The workshop has a number of FIRSTS to its  credit, a few of which are:-
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The FIRST to manufacture a steam locomotive  (The first one, CA 764 'Lady Curzon', was produced in 1899.) at a cost of Rs. 33,000/- which served for 33 years. The manufacture of Steam locomotive was stopped in the year 1923 after manufacturing  216 locomotives and   locomotive boilers –  between 1899 and 1923.      
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The FIRST to have set up a rolling mill not only on the railways, but probably in the country in 1870.(now closed)
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The FIRST to establish a railway foundry in the year 1893.
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The FIRST to ,manufacture a rail travelling crane in the country with indigenous know-how in 1961.
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The FIRST to manufacture high capacity synchronised electrically operated lifting jacks popularly known as "JAMALPUR JACKS" in 1962 and ticket printing, ticket chopping, ticket slitting and ticket counting machines.
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The FIRST and the only railway workshop to manufacture electrical arc furnaces of ˝ tonne capacity in 1961 for production of steel casting.
   
   

      Second 5-year plan had brought about large scale industrial development in this area and the rail transport    system gathered momentum and had to modernise and augment the rolling stock fleet. Diesel and Electric  traction replaced Steam traction. Gradually steam locomotive POH has been stopped and Diesel locomotive  POH has been taken over by  Jamalpur completely.

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     Abrupt closure of steam activities in August’92 was to some extent overcome with the switching over to the repair of Diesel Locomotives, repair of unloadable wagons and manufacture of Diesel Hydraulic Break Down Cranes and Tower Cars. This adaptability to new technologies, which is a strongpoint of the Workshop, was further facilitated on account of:-
 

  • An experienced and technically sound work force, ready to face all challenges.

  • Dynamic and interactive participation of employees in management.

  • Availability of an extensive in-built infrastructure for casting, forging, fabricating and machining.

  • Independent facilities of housing colonies, hospitals, schools & colleges, recreation institutes, golf course and water & electricity supply systems.

PRESENT ACTIVITIES

      POH and repair of diesel   locomotives : Started in 1982 the workshop caters full demand of Eastern Railway. The Workshop also deals with Special repairs to accident involved  locomotives and locomotives owned by various Public Sector Undertakings like NTPC, CPT, SAIL in the eastern region.So far 84 such Locomotives from PSUs have been repaired and generated a cash inflow of Rs. 26 crores.

Rebuilding and repair of BOX wagons : Due to generation of a large no of unloadable BOX wagons in   Eastern Railway and thus limiting the usage of these wagons it was felt necessary to introduce special type of repair to BOX wagons in between POH to make them earn revenue. These scheme yielded results and and Jamalpur shops gradually increased their production from 2445 FWUs in 95-96 to 3602 FWUs in 99-2000.

Apart from the above main activity Jamalpur Shops are also engaged in

  • POH and Manufacture of Cranes and Tower Cars

  • POH of Tower Cars

  • POH of 140 T Gottwald Cranes and other cranes ranging from 20T to 120T.

  • POH of Plasser Unimat Tamping Machines

  • Manufacture of Tower Cars Mark -II and mark III

  • Manufacture of Cranes 10T , 20T, and 140 T Break Down cranes : With the transfer of technology the workshop has taken up manufacture of sophisticated 140T Diesel Hydraulic BD Cranes. Initially all Components were imported from Germany , but now with gradual indigenisation the cost of each cranes has been brought down from Rs.13.0 crores to Rs.8 crores.

  • As mentioned above this workshop was first in Indian Railways to establish a foundry . and now this foundry shop produces more than 1 lakh medium phosphorous brake blocks per month for use in Eastern railway as well as S.E.Rly, Northern Rly. and N.F.Rly.With the switching over to composite brake blocks the activities in this field is expected to be reduced by 50% in the years to come.
  • Manufacturing of Heavy Duty Lifting Jacks  : Not only IR but also Public Sector units like NTPC, SAIL Port authorities have acclaimed the product and still being manufactured earning cash flow to this resource starved unit.

  • Manufacture of Wheel sets and other spares for C&W, Diesel and Engineering. The workshop has been entrusted with the work of supplying wheel sets to Coach manufacturers after assembly. In 99-2000 the work shop supplied finished wheel sets to M/s Jessops; M/s BEML and ICF works.     

Interested to know more about the origin of Jamalpur Locomotive Workshops?
Click here.     

  Jamalpur Workshop has the proud privilege of being the only railway workshop in Indian Railways, where  broad gauge cranes for railway's use are being manufactured. This is the premier railway   workshop   where large, microprocessor controlled 140-Ton capacity break down  cranes for Indian  Railways are being manufactured indigenously with very little import  content.  
 

 

 
 

140 ton Gottwald crane & match truck being assembled at Jamalpur
 

  
 

This workshop has already completed 144 years of glorious performance and dedicated service to the Nation. Ironically it stands alone in the Industrial desert of the northern part of Bihar in general and  Munger District in particular.

  
 

Divisions : Sealdah  Howrah  Asansol  Maldah

Workshops  :  Jamalpur  Liluah  Kanchrapara