BEML Gets 866.87 Crore Contract to Make Indigenous Bullet Train
BEML, state-owned firm, has secured an important contract worth â¹866.87 crore to design, manufacture, and commission two train sets in India, which will be high-speed. The two train sets will be the first time produced indigenously in the country. The Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory awarded the contract
Each train carriage would cost â¹27.86 crores with the overall contract covering design cost, one-time development cost, non-recurring charges, and initial cost for jigs, fixtures, tooling, and testing facilities. All these resources are to be used for the future high-speed rail projects in India.
This, BEML said, will be the first trident of Indian high-speed rail development while the trains will run at a speed of 280 km/h. The manufacturing will take place at BEML's rail coach complex in Bengaluru and the deliveries are expected to reach by the end of 2026.
Given the failure of negotiations to purchase Japanese bullet trains for India, Indian Railways has resorted to developing high-speed rail capabilities of its own. While it is still not known if this newly constructed train will be used on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, the coaches will boast an all-air-conditioned module, including reclining and rotatable seats, provisions for passengers with physical disabilities, and onboard infotainment systems.
In anticipation of this program, Railways has laid a standard gauge track in Rajasthan as part of a pilot project to test the technology needed for high-speed trains. It intends to export the Vande Bharat trains, which would require a broad to standard gauge change across the world.
