State-owned BEML has been awarded a ₹867 crore contract by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, for the design, manufacture, and commissioning of two high-speed train sets. This marks a historic milestone as it will be the first time such work is done indigenously in India. The project is set to deliver train sets capable of speeds up to 250 km/h, with a test speed of 280 km/h. The high-speed train sets will be produced at BEML’s Bengaluru rail coach complex and are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026.
This initiative comes after failed negotiations to procure Japanese bullet trains, pushing the Indian Railways to build its own. It remains unclear if these trains will serve the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor. The fully air-conditioned trains will feature reclining and rotatable seats, special provisions for passengers with restricted mobility, and onboard infotainment systems.
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The Railways has developed a track in Rajasthan for testing its standard gauge high-speed trains, aiming to export the Vande Bharat trains after converting them from broad to standard gauge, the globally accepted standard.
