Vande Bharat Express: Earlier when premium trains were talked about in the country, only Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express were mentioned. Now Vande Bharat is the new premium train. Till now Rajdhani Express was the longest among premium trains, which has 22 coaches. But now the sleeper variant train of Vande Bharat Express will be even longer than this.
Talking about premium trains, earlier Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express were the names in the country. Narendra Modi government started the operation of Vande Bharat as a semi high-speed train. Till now Vande Bharat used to have either 16 coaches or eight coaches. But now the Railway Ministry has decided to make Vande Bharat with 24 coaches. Yes, if such a train is made then it will become the longest train among premium trains. Till now the longest train in this category is Rajdhani Express. A maximum of 22 coaches are added to this train.
What is the latest decision of railways
Indian Railways has revised its Rs 35,000 crore Vande Bharat Semi-High Speed ​​​​Train tender. Railways had earlier ordered the supply of 120 train sets. Each of these train sets was to have 16 coaches. Now in the new plan that has been prepared, the supplier has to supply 80 train sets. Each of these train sets will have 24 coaches or compartments. These trains will also have pantry cars.
How much will the train cost
It is estimated that the cost of each train set of 24 coaches will be around Rs 120 crore. It will be manufactured in Latur, Maharashtra. A joint venture of Railway Ministry’s company Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and a consortium of Russian companies is being set up there. It is expected that this manufacturing unit will be ready by November this year.
The first prototype train will be launched next year
The manufacturing facility in Latur, Maharashtra is expected to be handed over to a joint venture between Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and a Russian consortium by November this year. After this, the production of 24-coach Vande Bharat train sets will begin there. The first prototype of this train is expected to arrive by September 2025.
Who will make this train?
The first partner in making this train is the Railway Ministry’s company RVNL. Along with this, Russian engineering company Metrowagonmash and Locomotive Electronic Systems are also involved. These three companies together will produce the trains in Latur, Maharashtra.
What was the original contract
The original Vande Bharat contract involved the production of 200 sleeper variant Vande Bharat train sets. Each of these trains was to have 16 coaches. Also, these trains had a 35-year maintenance plan. The L1 bidder of this contract was to produce 120 train sets at the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory (MRCF) in Latur, while the L2 bidder was responsible for 80 train sets at the ICF in Chennai. Now the recent change in the scope of work by the Ministry of Railways now requires the production of 80 train sets with 24 coaches each.
When will normal production happen
After the prototype of the 24 coach Vande Bharat train set arrives, it will be tested. If it is successful in the test, then the first batch of 12 Vande Bharat trains is expected to be made a year later. After this, 18 train sets will be delivered in the second year. Then in the third year, batches of 25 train sets will be delivered. Maintenance facilities are being developed in Jodhpur, Delhi and Bengaluru for the maintenance of this Vande Bharat train set.
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