Indian Railways has revised its ₹35,000 crore Vande Bharat semi-high speed train tenders. The new plan reduces the order from 120 train sets of 16 coaches each to 80 train sets, now featuring 24 coaches, including pantry cars and luggage compartments. Each train set is estimated to cost around ₹120 crore.
The manufacturing facility in Latur, Maharashtra, will be handed over to a joint venture between Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) and a Russian consortium by November this year. The first prototype is expected by September 2025, with a second to follow in November. Kinet Railway Solutions, a JV involving RVNL, Russian engineering firm Metrowagonmash, and Locomotive Electronic Systems, will produce the trains at Latur.
The original contract included the production of 200 sleeper version Vande Bharat train sets, each with 16 coaches, along with a 35-year maintenance plan. The L1 bidder 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 ICF in Chennai. However, a recent change in the scope of work by the Ministry of Railways now calls for the production of 80 train sets with 24 coaches each.
The first batch of 12 Vande Bharat trains is expected a year after prototype approval, followed by 18 trains in the second year, with subsequent deliveries in batches of 25 train sets. Maintenance facilities are being developed in Jodhpur, Delhi, and Bengaluru, with upgrades set to begin soon.
