Hilton Develops India-Made Forged Railway Wheelsets

11 Jun 2025 CW Team

Hilton Metal Forging Ltd has successfully developed and manufactured indigenous Railway Forged Wagon Wheelsets, which have been inspected and approved by RITES, the Indian government’s quality assurance agency. Each wheelset includes two forged wheels and one forged axle, with every rail coach or wagon requiring four such wheelsets.

The company aims to meet the growing demand from Indian railway wagon manufacturers and reduce reliance on Chinese imports. Under the “Make in India” initiative, Hilton plans to manufacture over 3,000 wheelsets in FY26 and scale up to more than 12,000 units in FY27. The targeted installed capacity is set at 20,000 wheelsets annually.

India’s railway freight sector is undergoing rapid expansion, with the government aiming to increase the modal share of freight transport via railways from 27 per cent to 45 per cent by 2030. With 98 per cent of the rail network already electrified and the implementation of Mission Raftaar, the focus remains on enhancing the speed and efficiency of both freight and passenger trains across the country.

In FY25, Indian factories manufactured 41,929 freight wagons, 1,681 locomotives (up 19 per cent from FY24), and 7,134 passenger coaches. Around 90,000 units—including freight wagons, coaches, and locomotives—undergo periodic maintenance annually at 44 railway workshops. This generates a steady annual demand of approximately 170,000 new wheelsets and 250,000 new wheels.

Hilton’s forged wheelsets are expected to contribute significantly to meeting this demand, aligning with national priorities for self-reliance and localisation in high-performance railway components.

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