Vande Bharat sleeper trains: The delivery of 200 sleeper variant Vande Bharat trains of Indian Railways may take extra time than initially anticipated. Negotiations relating to design modifications and prepare size for the practically Rs 60,000 crore provide and upkeep contract are nonetheless ongoing, in line with people accustomed to the state of affairs.
As a end result of these discussions, progress on the prototype for the Vande Bharat sleeper prepare, awarded underneath this tender, has been gradual.
The Indian Railways is decided to accumulate 24-coach trains, which was stipulated within the contract. “The terms of contract allow for changing the coach composition per rake. Railways can ask for 12-, 16-, or 24-coach trains at no cost escalation,” a senior official educated concerning the plan informed ET.
In mid-2023, Kinet Railway Solutions and a consortium of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and Titagarh Rail Systems (TRS) have been awarded the availability and upkeep contract for 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains. Although prototype trains have been purported to be unveiled inside a yr, each suppliers have but to start work on them.
BEML and Integral Coach Factory (ICF) of Chennai have been individually contracted to provide 10 trains on a nomination foundation. Earlier this month, some coaches of the BEML-ICF prototype prepare have been displayed, with the primary batch anticipated to enter business service later this yr.
The Vande Bharat sleeper prepare, being made by BEML, is constructed on the Vande Bharat platform and is predicted to outshine the Rajdhani Express in phrases of passenger consolation, pace, and security. With a most operational pace of 160 kmph and a testing pace of 180 kmph, the Vande Bharat sleeper prepare is engineered for effectivity. Being a self-propelled prepare set, it advantages from faster acceleration and deceleration, which boosts its general common pace in comparison with the Rajdhani Express.
Kinet Railway Solutions, an Indo-Russian three way partnership, secured the tender to provide 120 Vande Sleeper variant trains at a price of Rs 120 crore per 16-coach rake. The BHEL-TRS consortium’s order is for supplying 80 trains on the identical value. A spokesperson from Kinet Railway Solutions confirmed ongoing discussions with the Indian Railways.
The spokesperson stated, “The company is currently liaising with the Indian Railways to finalise details of the scope change request. Once all the details have been agreed upon, a new project timeline will be defined, reflecting the revised scope. Kinet is fully committed to implementing the contract in full collaboration with IR.”
