Singur (West Bengal), Aug 2 - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday said her ministry was interested in setting up a national project on the site of the now abandoned Tata Nano factory in this rural belt of West Bengal.

'We want industry to come up in Singur. If the land which has been taken for industry in Singur is handed over to the railways by the centre, then we will set up a national project there,' Banerjee said while flagging off the Singur-Howrah Andolan suburban train here.

She said the railways would implement the project through a joint venture. 'We will follow the public-private-partnership model. We are very much interested in such a venture.'

The introduction of the suburban train covering a 34-km distance from here to Howrah is the Trinamool Congress chief's way of paying tribute to the anti-land acquisition movement of Singur that forced auto major Tata Motors to shift its Nano car factory to Sanand in Gujarat last year.

'This train is a recognition to those who participated in the anti-land acquisition movement in Singur,' she said.

Banerjee had earlier announced an express train on the route but changed her decision after railway officials pointed out that such a train on the short stretch will be unviable.

Re-stating her oft-repeated position, the minister said industry could come up on around 600 acres of the acquired land while the remaining approximately 400 acres should be given back to the unwilling farmers.

'The railways will set up industries only on this 600 acres,' she said.