Vande Bharat: Siemens, BHEL in race for new trains; plans for 102 trains on track

Bombardier, Siemens and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd are some of the big-ticket firms in the race for developing the next set of Vande Bharat trains, part of 400 such high-speed trains to be manufactured over the next three years, senior officials said on Wednesday.

They said 44 such trains are already in the manufacturing stage to meet the target of 75 such trains by August 2023 set in the blueprint laid down by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech last year.

The Railways has also started the process for procuring propulsion systems for 58 more such trains, officials said.

CG Power Industrial Solutions Limited and Hind Rectifiers Limited both of Mumbai, Electrowaves Electronics Pvt Limited, Parnawoo, Medha Servo Drives Private Limited, Hyderabad, Saini Electrical and Engineering Works and Siemens Limited, both of Navi Mumbai, and Titagarh Wagons Limited, Kolkata, have participated in the tender process, they said.

"Procurement of propulsion system and other items for 44 trainsets (the second version) has been completed and the trains are under manufacture.

"The 58 more will be the next version of trains. While some among the 58 will be part of the remaining trains for the target of 75 set for 2023, the rest will be part of the 400 announced by the finance minister. We are ready with a plan of over 100 such trains," an official said.

The first prototype train of the second version of Vande Bharat is likely to be rolled out from ICF, Chennai, in May and the second train by June 2022. After RDSO's oscillation trials, these trains will be put into commercial service during July-September.

With a speed potential of 160 kmph, the two Vande Bharat trains which are currently in operation, have fully air-conditioned chair cars. Each train comprises 16 coaches of which 14 are economy class and two executive class.

The improved features for the next phase of trains will include better acceleration, allowing those to pick up 160 kmph speed in 140 seconds, better riding quality, improved infotainment system, fire detection system in each coach connected with driver's desk and anti-bacterial feature in the air-conditioning system, among other features.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget speech on Tuesday, said that 400 new-generation Vande Bharat trains with better energy efficiency and passenger riding experience will be developed and manufactured in the next three years.