News Brief
India's First Bullet Train Prototype Production Likely To Begin By September 2025
Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project (Representative image).
BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited), the Bengaluru-based state-owned defence PSU, will commence manufacturing India’s first bullet train prototype in September 2025 at its existing facility that also produces Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets, the Financial Express reported.
According to BEML chairman and managing director Shantanu Roy, the design work is underway and manufacturing will begin once this phase concludes in the coming months.
“The work is at the design stage right now. The critical design part should be over in a couple of months, and we will start the manufacturing activity by September,” Roy was quoted as saying by Financial Express.
He highlighted that the project involves advanced technologies across passenger safety, signalling, TCMS, welding, and sheet metal fabrication.
The contract awarded to BEML in October last year by Integral Coach Factory involves design, manufacturing, and commissioning of two high-speed trainsets, each consisting of eight coaches capable of reaching 280 kmph.
While speed trials will be conducted at 280 kmph, the trains will operate at 249 kmph.
The total project cost stands at Rs 866.87 crore, Rs 27.86 crore per coach, markedly lower than Japanese Shinkansen coaches priced at Rs 46–48 crore each.
“Once this coach is approved, there will be a bulk production of 15 more cars which won’t take much time,” Roy added.
By December 2026, the prototype will undergo oscillation trials and speed testing on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.
BEML has onboarded a global design verification agency, a separate validation agency for testing, and will also engage experts to supervise welding and ensure adherence to safety protocols through an independent assessor.
As part of India’s National Infrastructure Pipeline, the Ministry of Railways has identified seven additional high-speed corridors.
Roy affirmed BEML’s readiness to contribute further, “We are training our existing manpower, and ramping up the capacity to take on more rail projects.”
The MAHSR project is being largely financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is funding 81 per cent of costs through an ultra-low interest loan at 0.1 per cent.
