Shatabdi Express

Make-in-India project

A letter from the railway board directs the Chennai factory to immediately proceed with production.The railway board has finally given a green signal to the Integral Coach Factory ( ICF) in Chennai to start production of 45 Vande Bharat trains. A letter from AK Agarwal, additional member (mechanical) of the board, on December 14 to the general manager of ICF railway board stated that the factory needs to proceed with the procurement process immediately with the specification issued by Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO).Earlier, the tendering process was halted due to controversies over allegations that a private firm was being favoured.The letter from Agarwal also stated that if any modification is required in the pre-bidding process, the ICF will be authorised to look into it. The letter says that by 2022, 45 trains should be ready to roll.Also known as Train 18, Vande Bharat is India’s first semi high-speed train, whose average speed will be 100 km per hour. They will replaceand run between metros and other big cities, including Mumbai-Nashik, Mumbai-Pune and Mumbai-Ahmedabad.The trains yet to be manufactured will be 15-20 per cent lighter than the current Vande Bharat trains plying between Delhi and Varanasi and Delhi and Katra. The new ones will cut travel time by at least 20 per cent.Mumbai Mirror had reported on December 8 that a senior officer of the railways, who was part of the production team of Vande Bharat, had alleged that the administration was unnecessarily harassing the top nine officers associated with the project. He had also complained that efforts were on to import the trains in order to sabotage theHowever, the latest letter has put an end to the controversy, giving ICF a free hand to carry out its work.The project had run into rough weather back in July when the railway ministry directed ICF to cancel all tenders related to Vande Bharat Express. The ministry’s move was prompted by several complaints of favouritism in tendering process.