- The largest manufacturer of locomotives and rail equipment in Russia, has won a global bid to produce, supply and maintain 120 Vande Bharat express trains for the Indian Railways.
- The total value of the contract could be as much as $6.5 billion.
- The report said that everything will be built in India to boost the make-in-India campaign . The production of the trains will be localised at Marathwada Rail Coach Factory, Latur, Maharashtra.
- The delivery of the trains is expected to take place between 2026 to 2030.
- The train, equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities, has redefined the passenger travel experience in the country.
Trans mash holding (TMH), the largest manufacturer of locomotives and rail equipment in Russia, has won a global bid to produce, supply and maintain 120 Vande Bharat express trains for the Indian Railways, Russian news agency reported.
The 16-car long-distance trains are part of a major programme to re-equip the national carrier on long-distance routes. They will be able to reach a speed of up to 160 kilometres per hour, the report said.
Terms of the tender stipulated that the contract be signed by June 1. As per the report, the contract will pay $1.8 billion for supplying the Vande Bharat trains and $2.5 billion for their maintenance for 35 years. Considering the indexation, the total value of the contract could be as much as $6.5 billion. However, according to the statement of Trans mash holding’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the document itself has not been signed yet , it will be signed within 45 days from March 29.
The report further said that everything will be built in India to boost the make-in-India campaign . The production of the trains will be localised at the Indian Railways, Marathwada Rail Coach Factory, in Latur, Maharashtra.
Trans mash holding – which participated in the tender through its Metro vagon mash plant in the Moscow Region’s Mytishi – stated that the first sample of the train should appear in two years with the first delivery of Vande Bharat Express trains scheduled to be made within the next five years. The delivery of the trains is expected to take place between 2026 to 2030. But the first two prototypes will be ready for trials by the end of 2025.
India’s first indigenous semi-high-speed train, Vande Bharat Express is a significant effort made by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards strengthening and making the ‘Make in India’ initiative a massive success story.
The train, equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities, has redefined the passenger travel experience in the country. Last Saturday, PM Modi flagged off India’s 12th Vande Bharat train which has been introduced between Bhopal and New Delhi.
