Sleeper Edition Vande Bharat Express: BHEL-Led Consortium Bags Contract To Manufacture 80 Trains Worth Over Rs 9,600 Crore

Going ahead with the contract order for manufacturing 80 Vande Bharat trains with sleeper coaches, the BHEL-led consortium has filed the regulatory filing in the Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday (11 April), a mandatory requirement for the public sector unit.

The Indian Railways had recently opened the financial bids for the manufacturing of 200 Vande Bharat trains with sleeper coaches.

While the Russian company TMH along with RVNL bagged the order for making 120 Vande Bharat trains at Latur, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)-led consortium got the order for 80 Vande Bharat trains.

In a regulatory filing, BHEL said it has been awarded an order for 80 Vande Bharat trains, worth more than Rs 9,600 crore, in the mega tender of the Indian Railways. The order is for supply of 80 trains, each at a cost of Rs 120 crore, excluding taxes and duties.

There is a demand for running sleeper class Vande Bharat trainsets as these can ply on long routes like Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah. Presently, all Vande Bharat trains in operation only have chair car and executive chair car classes.

BHEL will supply the 80 trains over a period of 72 months. The consortium, comprising BHEL and Titagarh Wagons Ltd, is called Technology Partner.

As per the filing, the consortium will also equip, upgrade, operate and maintain the exclusive place provided in the manufacturing unit at Integral Coach Factory, Chennai and two depots assigned by the Indian Railways.