DETROIT - General Motors will go to 24-hour operations at factories in Kansas, Michigan and Indiana to handle an expected increase in demand and to make up for production lost from a large-scale factory consolidation announced earlier in the year, according to The Associated Press.

The automaker says it will add a third shift at its Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kan., in January. That will be followed in March or April by third shifts at factories in Delta Township, Mich., near Lansing, and Fort Wayne, Ind.

About 2,400 production workers will be recalled as a result of the added shifts, and another 600 will be recalled at parts factories across the country, said Tim Lee, group vice president for global manufacturing.

The increases announced Tuesday, coupled with other production increases unveiled during the summer, will allow GM to raise North American production from about 1.9 million vehicles this year to 2.8 million in 2010, Lee said.

The increase also is necessary because of an expected sales increase next year and because GM's inventory of cars and trucks was at a record-low level of 378,000 at the end of August, said Mark LaNeve, vice president of U.S. sales.

The Fairfax plant makes the midsize Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura and Buick LaCrosse, while Delta Township makes the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook large crossover vehicles. The Fort Wayne factory makes pickup trucks.