The land will be used to expand production and commission metro and Vande Bharat train coaches, with a state-of-the-art testing facility and dedicated test track.
The West Bengal Cabinet on Monday cleared decks for the transfer of around 40 acres of land out of a total of around 395 acres, earlier possessed by the C.K. Birla Group-owned Hindustan Motors, to Titagarh Rail Systems, which will use the land for the production and commissioning of metro coaches and Vande Bharat trains.
The West Bengal government initiated the legal process of reclaiming 395 acres of land from Hindustan Motors in Uttarpara around three years ago. This move was prompted by the government’s eagerness to reclaim the land, which had been lying idle with Hindustan Motors, the erstwhile manufacturer of the iconic Ambassador car.
The State Cabinet, chaired by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, decided to hand over a plot of around 40 acres in Uttarpara to Titagarh Rail Systems.
“We have already paid the money for the 40 acres of land. This land is contiguous to our existing facility, where we are doing metro coaches and Vande Bharat coaches. This will help us expand the capacity, but more importantly we will set up a very modern testing facility which will ensure that we also have a proper testing line before the trains are put to passenger service and supply. It will improve the performance and safety of the trains,” Umesh Chowdhary, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Titagarh Rail Systems, told businessline.
“The company is pleased to inform that it has entered into a 99-year lease agreement dated July 12 2025 with the Governor of West Bengal for approximately 40.009 acres of contiguous land at Mouza Kotrung and Mouza Bhadrakali, Uttarpara, West Bengal, at an aggregate consideration of ₹126.63 crore,” the company said in a stock exchange filing.
“The strategic nature of this land parcel provides crucial space for establishing extra production infrastructure, and dedicated areas for forming, testing, and commissioning of metro coaches and Vande Bharat trains. This will ensure comprehensive performance and safety validation including a test track of sufficient length for conducting adequate dynamic and running tests of all trains before delivery for passenger use,” it added.
Earlier, the beleaguered automaker, India’s first ever car maker, said that it was planning to utilise its land at Uttarpara for a project to make electric vehicles. However, the proposed project for making EVs was stalled due to a notice from the West Bengal government over the resumption of its land at Uttarpara.
The crisis-ridden automaker had stopped producing the iconic Ambassador cars in 2014 as sales had dwindled. The management had declared “Suspension of work” at its Uttarpara plant with effect from May 24, 2014. The brand was eventually sold to French automaker Peugeot
Published on July 14, 2025