New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) Sudhanshu Mani, the man behind the country’s first indigenous semi-high-speed train, Vande Bharat, has expressed dissatisfaction with the Railway Ministry’s decision to assign the design and manufacture of high-speed trains only to BEML.
Mani believes that the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, has a strong and well-established record of designing and manufacturing mainline trains, the latest being the Vande Bharat Express. In contrast, BEML has limited credentials in this domain, he said.
A production unit under the Railway Ministry, ICF turns out more than 3,000 coaches per year on average in more than 180 varieties, which include conventional and self-propelled coaches in LHB and other designs, including India’s first semi-high speed train, the Vande Bharat Express.
BEML Limited (formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited), a company under the Defence Ministry, serves sectors such as Defence, Aerospace, Rail, Metro, Power, Mining and Infrastructure.
In a push for the ‘Made in India’ initiative, the Ministry in 2024 awarded a contract to BEML to develop one pair of 250 kmph bullet trains – named B-28 – by 2027.
There are also reports that the Ministry is in the process of awarding a contract to BEML to develop 16 more B-28 trainsets at a huge cost.
“BEML’s expertise in the design and manufacture of mainline passenger coaches is yet to be proven. Its only recent foray in this domain has been the development of the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat train, for which most of the design input was provided by ICF and in any case, it did not require much ab initio design effort”, Mani told PTI.
He added, “Even the Vande Bharat train project suffered considerable delays. The first rake built and tested remains unused, and only the modified second rake onwards could be inducted into service.” He expressed surprise that despite this track record, Indian Railways is proceeding to place an order for 16 additional trainsets with BEML, even though the two trainsets under the existing order are unlikely to be delivered before well into 2027.
According to him, their performance will only be tested and cleared after that and hence unlikely to be certified before 2028.
“Indian Railways reposing such faith in one company is inexplicable, to my mind”, Mani said.
Arguing that broader participation is essential for building a robust and competitive ecosystem for high-speed rail manufacturing in the country, he said, “It is difficult to comprehend why the more prudent approach of involving ICF, and arguably other capable designers and manufacturers in the private sector, has not been adopted.” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently visited the BEML Tippasandra campus in Bengaluru to inaugurate ‘Aditya’, a specialised complex dedicated to high-speed rail manufacturing.
During the visit, the Minister emphasised that high-speed rail technology is extremely complex and intricate, noting that its development within the country marks a significant milestone for indigenous engineering.
Vaishnaw said that the bullet train’s Atmanirbhar version, B-28, is being designed jointly by ICF and BEML.
“Manufacturing will take place at BEML’s specially designed Aditya plant, equipped with advanced, high-precision machines, including robotic laser welding systems. This will enable indigenous production of bullet trains under Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he said.
The issue also relates to the inability of India and Japan to finalise terms for the supply of Japanese trains capable of operating at 320 kmph for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad corridor, a project being executed with substantial financial support through a JICA loan and technical assistance from Japanese Railways.
In the aftermath, Indian Railways decided to proceed with the development of an indigenous high-speed train by BEML, albeit with a design speed limited to 250 kmph. PTI JP JP HIG HIG
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