The delivery of Indian Railways’ ambitious Vande Bharat sleeper trains may be delayed. These 200 sleeper variant trains were expected to hit the tracks soon, but now discussions on the coach design and train length in the supply and maintenance contract worth around ₹60,000 crore are still not finalised.
What’s the problem?
The railways need trains with 24 coaches, but there has been a dispute over the contract. In this contract, the railways have the right to ask for trains with 12, 16, or 24 coaches without any additional cost. A senior official said, “According to the terms of the contract, the railways can change the composition of the coaches. But for this, negotiations are going on between the Railway Ministry and the suppliers, due to which the delivery of the train is getting delayed.”
What about supplier and prototype maintenance?
The contract for the supply and maintenance of these 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains was awarded to Kinet Railway Solutions, a consortium of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and Titagarh Rail Systems (TRS) in mid-2023. As per the contract, it was planned to show prototype trains in a year, but no work has started yet.
In addition, BEML and Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory (ICF) have been awarded contracts to supply 10 trains. A few coaches of the BEML-ICF prototype train were showcased earlier this month, and the first batch is expected to be commercially launched by the end of this year.
What does Kinet Railway Solutions say?
Kinet Railway Solutions, an Indo-Russian joint venture, has received a tender to supply 120 Vande Bharat sleeper trains. Each 16-coach rake costs ₹120 crore. The BHEL-TRS consortium has received an order to supply 80 trains. A Kinet Railway Solutions spokesperson said, “Discussions are ongoing with the Indian Railways and once all the details are finalised, the timeline for the new project will be decided. We are fully committed to successfully completing this contract.”
How many trains are running right now?
Currently, Indian Railways is planning to increase the number of Vande Bharat trains. These trains provide fast, safe and comfortable travel experience to the passengers. But the delay in the sleeper variant may hit this plan of the Railways.
What is the plan for the future?
Now it remains to be seen when these discussions between the railways and the suppliers are completed and when the Vande Bharat sleeper trains are ready to run on the tracks. But it is certain that this ambitious project of Indian Railways will prove to be a great experience for rail passengers in future.
(Note: All the figures and information given in this news have been obtained from various sources. Wait for official information before taking any decision related to railways.)
