Railways signs MoU with IIT Kharagpur to set up research centre

Railways today signed an MoU with IIT, Kharagpur to set up a research centre at the IIT campus to improve railway infrastructure.

Describing it as "historic", railway minister Mamata Banerjee said, "A railway research centre will be set up in IIT, Kharagpur for co-operation and collaboration to develop a long-term framework of research."

The Mou was signed by Damodar Acharya, director of IIT, Kharagpur and AK Goyal, member staff of railway board.

Acharya said the railway research centre will help to develop future technology for high speed trains and a rise in their carrying capacity.

Banerjee said teachers of IIT Kharagpur have requested her to see that a hospital on the lines of AIIMS, New Delhi be set up in Kharagpur.

She said as part of a recent MoU signed between the railways and union health ministry to build medical facilities at major stations across the country, 361 diagnostic centres, 88 second-level hospitals and 41-multi-functional hospitals would be set up.

Railways would provide land for the projects, she said, adding the matter will be taken up with the Union health ministry so that recommendations of IIT Kharagpur could be incorporated in the MoU.

She said apart from the hospital, one nursing centre would be set up in Kharagpur.