New Delhi: One of the architects of the indigenously built semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express train has said the vigilance inquiry ordered into the project a few months ago will kill the “spirit of innovation, risk-taking, bold decision making and out-of-box thinking”.
In a letter to Railway Board Chairman V.K. Yadav, Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer of Indian Railways Shubhranshu has compared the indigenously-built train to the Chandrayaan and BrahMos projects while flagging the vigilance probe.
“A vigilance inquiry has been launched in this indisputably successful project that in no way ranks even a shade lower than the Chandrayaan or the BrahMos,” he has written. “I am sure the ISRO or DRDO have not launched vigilance inquiries into their proud achievements.”
Shubhranshu was part of the internal team at the Railways Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, where the Vande Bharat was designed and developed but he was transferred out around the time the first train was launched in February. He is now the chief administrative officer at the Rail Wheel Plant in Bihar.
The vigilance inquiry was launched in June, following complaints that the Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives Limited was “unduly favoured” for the project and that the eligibility criteria in the tender were tailored to suit the firm over major propulsion system suppliers such as Siemens and Bombardier.
The inquiry has held up the Railways’ plans to deliver 40 Vande Bharat trains by 2022. So far, only one train has been launched while another, which will run between Delhi and Katra, is ready for launch. The trains are meant to eventually replace the Shatabdis.
The lone running Vande Bharat train, more commonly known as Train-18 as it was manufactured in 2018, runs at a speed of 160 km/h between Delhi and Varanasi. It was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 February.
The 16-coach train was designed and developed at a cost of Rs 100 crore and has all modern facilities including wi-fi, CCTV cameras, GPS-enabled passenger information system, rotational seats and modular toilets.
Also read: Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains look at 90-minute shorter travel time by 2022
Process of inquiry kills the spirit of innovation
In his letter, dated 19 August, Shubhranshu writes that it is easy for people to say “let an inquiry be held” and that “officers need not fear anything if no wrong has been done”. He, however, adds that the process itself kills innovation.
“We all know that it is not the outcome of a vigilance inquiry that kills the spirit of innovation, risk-taking, bold decision making and out-of-box thinking,” he has written. “It is the process of inquiry that does it in equal measure.”
The official has further urged the railway board chairman to create an “enabling environment, free from fear, suspicion and inter-departmental conflicts that can truly deliver this wonderful train to the nation and meet the expectations of honourable PM sooner than later”.
His letter refers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address, in which the PM said more Vande Bharat trains were needed by the nation.
“Yet, the third rake itself is nowhere in sight let alone proliferation of the train,” his letter reads. “The honourable PM and the people of India must not be let down by the technocracy of Indian Railways and the wrangling therein.”
Shubhranshu declined to comment for the article.
Sources in the railways ministry told ThePrint that some of the technical aspects mentioned in the letter were raised at the railway board meeting last week, which was attended by Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal.
A spokesperson for the ministry termed the letter as an isolated case. “In the recent past, complaints have been received on the procurement process,” the spokesperson said. “The vigilance of the Railway Board is looking into that matter. It is being ensured that all future procurement for Train-18 is done in a fair and transparent manner without giving any undue favour to any firm and at the same time giving an equal level playing field to bidders.”
“It is our endeavour that procurement is done in a fair and transparent manner within the ambit of extant rules and procedure, thereby providing fair and equitable treatment to all prospective bidders,” the spokesperson added.
‘No undue favour shown, eligibility criteria not tweaked’
The officer’s letter also counters the charges being probed, denying that Medha Servo Drives had been shown undue favours in the tenders. “This is far from the truth. The tender in which the Indian firm got the order for the electrics of the first two rakes was awarded to it on the L1 basis (suitable lowest tender),” the letter states. “In fact, two other bidders, M/S Bombardier and M/S Siemens, were given counter offers as per rules, but they declined.”
Shubhranshu also denied the charges that the eligibility criteria in the tender were “tailored” to suit Medha. “This is far from the reality since major propulsion system suppliers, M/S Siemens and M/S Bombardier had not only quoted in these tenders without reservations but also taken part in the pre-bid meetings,” the letter adds. “They lost out on price, which is how rules work… A level-playing field certainly does not mean awarding contracts on whatever price a firm quotes.”
The officer also says that accusations that specifications of the Train-18 had violated RDSO standards were false. “The Vande Bharat has been running uninterrupted for eight months and has been in commercial service for six months without a single failure or unsafe situation, an unprecedented feat,” the letter reads.
Inter-departmental wrangling has plagued the project
A senior railways ministry official, who did not want to be named, told ThePrint that the genesis of the problems plaguing Train-18 is the inter-departmental tussle between the electrical and mechanical wings of the Indian Railways.
The mechanical department was given the responsibility of developing Train-18 and maintaining the coaches and wagons. The electrical department was only given the responsibility of electricals, which is 30 per cent of the total work. The electrical department wanted the whole project to be transferred to it, the officer said.
The tussle between the two wings has delayed the launch of the second Vande Bharat train that will run between Delhi and Katra (Jammu). “The train is ready. But there is wrangling between the electrical and mechanical wing over who will maintain it,” said an Indian Railways official who did not want to be named.
The railways official told ThePrint that Train-18 has a 100 per cent indigenously designed and developed train-set (trains that run without locomotives), which were developed at a cost of Rs 100 crore.
“The average cost of a train-set in Japan and Europe varies between Rs 250 crore and Rs 300 crore. At ICF, it was developed at half the cost,” the official said. “This has upset many including multinational lobbies as it has skewed the cost. That is why certain vested interests want to scuttle it in the name of transparency.”
To resolve the tussle, the railway ministry official said, the Railway Board around two months ago reversed its earlier order and decided to give the electrical department charge of inspection, certification and specification of the Vande Bharat trains while the mechanical wing will continue to maintain it.
Also read: Railways will offer incentives to contractors for early completion of projects: Piyush Goyal