Bengaluru: India’s ambitious rail project Vande Bharat sleeper trainset on Monday commenced its maiden prototype production at the Bengaluru complex of BEML Ltd.
The company, which had earlier bagged the prestigious order to manufacture and assemble complete trainsets at its complex, inaugurated the production of the trainset.
The trainset will have best-in-class interiors with GFRP panels (lightweight and corrosion-resistant material) combined with aerodynamic exterior looks, crash worthy features, modular pantry, ergonomically designed odour free toilet system and modern passenger amenities for travellers.
BEML Ltd, which is country’s first company to manufacture all steel integrated rail coaches for operations in Indian Railways, had received orders from Indian Railways for designing, manufacturing and commissioning of 10 rakes of 16 cars of Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets.
The Sleeper trainset of 16 cars will have a passenger capacity of 823 passengers, put together in first class AC, 2 Tier AC and 3 Tier AC.
Inaugurating the production facility, Naveen Gulati shared, “It is a matter of great pride for the country that BEML, in collaboration with Indian Railways, is rolling out one of India’s best passenger-
focused train that emphasises ‘Make in India’ initiative and is at par with global standards.”
The trainset’s car body has been designed in order to meet the crash worthiness requirements using new design crash worthy couplers and car body crash buffers. B G Mallya said, “Vande Bharat’s success endorses our capability to produce world-class semi-high-speed trains at affordable cost that provide us an attractive option in the global rolling stock market.”
The trainset meets the requirement of hazard level 3 (HL3) of European rolling stock standards, which is also embellished with specially designed fire barrier doors that are specially designed and provided at the coach ends for additional safety of the passengers.
“Safety, Speed and Special experience were our major thrust points while designing this trainset for travellers. Our legacy enthralled with research and innovation in rail coaches manufacturing gives us appropriate impetus to build another milestone for the company and pride for the country,” Shantanu Roy shared while enumerating key features of the project.
Other than interior and exterior furnishing items like front nose cones, BEML’s team put more focus into engineering propulsion systems, bogie systems, brake systems, HVAC and exterior plug doors.
