Indian Railways (IR) is taking big strides towards the advancement and upgradation of various divisions to achieve higher levels of efficiency and capacity in the coming years. Rolling stock is one such segment that has witnessed significant innovations with the introduction of advanced coaches and wagons. Moreover, the Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains have enhanced passenger amenities and capacity.
During 2023-24, a total of 6,100 coaches have been produced, of which around 45 per cent were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF). Locomotive production in India has been on a steady rise. During 2023-24, a total of 1,307 locomotives have been produced. About 45 per cent of these have been produced at the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works. Further, during 2023-24, the total number of wagons produced under the Rolling Stock Programme stood at 20,186.
New launches
Launched in 2019, the Vande Bharat trains have AC chair cars with innovative features such as automatic sliding doors, GPS-based passenger information systems, zero-discharge vacuum bio-toilets and CCTV cameras. As of January 31, 2024, there are 82 Vande Bharat train services in operation. The interim budget 2024-25 also proposed the conversion of 40,000 normal bogies into standard Vande Bharat bogies. Besides, IR is planning to launch sleeper Vande Bharat trains, which will feature both AC and non-AC facilities.
While short-distance Vande Bharat trains with chair cars are already operational, a prototype of Vande Bharat Metro, a compact version of the Vande Bharat Express trains, has been unveiled recently to cater to both inter-city and intra-city travel needs.
Two Amrit Bharat trains, connecting Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal (Amrit Bharat Express) and Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru) (Amrit Bharat Express), have been introduced, with approval to launch another 50 trains of the same kind. The Amrit Bharat Express trains are high-speed passenger trains featuring the Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) push-pull design, comprising engines positioned at both the front and rear, for better acceleration and deceleration.
Modernisation initiatives
Recent developments and innovations in the rolling stock segment include material upgradation from MS to stainless steel, compliance with crashworthiness requirements, implementation of obstacle deflector and derailment detection device, wheel damping, micro-processor-controlled brake system and conventional signalling system to CBTC signalling system adaptation.
As a move towards modernisation, IR is replacing conventional ICF coaches with LHB in a phased manner. As of February 2024, a total of 23,000 conventional coaches of ICF have been replaced with LHB coaches since 2015. The introduction of smart coaches over the past few years has aided the shift from preventive/periodic maintenance to predictive maintenance. All the components and equipment such as coach bearings, air conditioners and water tanks are monitored online during the journey through a centralised monitoring system.
With the aim of catering to the rising demand for rail travel, IR has formulated a plan for the purchase of trains worth Rs 1 trillion over the next few years. Approximately 7,000-8,000 new train sets will be needed to meet the objective of replacing the ageing rolling stock. Tenders are expected to be issued in the next four to five years for the procurement of trains worth Rs 1 trillion, which will be honoured over the next 15 years.
IR is also planning to run 35 hydrogen trains under the Hydrogen for Heritage initiative. The first of these trains is likely to run on the Jind-Sonipat section of the Northern Railways.
As part of the 100-day plan for the railways, the government will finalise rolling stock procurement for the trial run of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail. In order to give wings to the government’s plan for hyperloop technology, India has signed an MoU with Switzerland under which Swisspod Technologies and India’s TuTr Hyperloop have tied up to accelerate research in the field. The two companies plan to explore and assess potential commercial hyperloop transportation routes in India and develop a blueprint for financing and constructing the system.
