The Ministry of Railways has announced plans to launch Vande Metro train service and is also hopeful of speeding up its production of Vande Bharat trains, as it got a major boost from its highest ever fund allocation at Rs 2.41 lakh crore after the union budget 2023-24 was announced on Wednesday.
Rail minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in the last several years, there was a lack of investment in the railways due to which the ministry was unable to achieve its potential. Interacting with the media at Rail Bhavan, the minister said to fulfil this, Rs 2.41 lakh crore has been allocated to the railways for capital investment in the new budget.
Vande Metro next
Vaishnaw said to ease travel in and around big cities, where people move for work or leisure and return to their hometowns, the railway ministry was coming up with Vande Metro – an equivalent to the Vande Bharat Express trains – to offer a world-class rapid shuttle-like service.
“The concept of Vande Metro – a rapid, world-class shuttle-like experience for passengers – is underway. This year, the production and design will be completed and next year, 2024-25, we will ramp up the production of that,” he said.
Speaking to News18, a ministry official said these trains will be different and easier to run as compared to the rapid transit system. “These will be a mini version of the Vande Bharat with eight coaches, but will act like a Metro train. The rapid transit system needs heavy investment but these mini Vande Metros can run on existing tracks,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
The ministry has assigned the work on Vande Metro to Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and Lucknow-based Research Design and Standard Organisation (RDSO).
More Vande Bharat Express trains
According to Vaishnaw, the ministry will ramp up supply chain and production of the Vande Bharat Express trains.
“All the Vande Bharat trains will be manufactured within our own factories and workshops by our own employees… This year we will expand the production to three new facilities – Sonipat in Haryana, Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh and Latur in Maharashtra,” he said.
The minister further said as of now, one Vande Bharat train per week was being made but with “four factories simultaneously producing Vande Bharat, we should be able to do, by the end of the next financial year, two or three new Vande Bharat trains every week”.
He went on to say that with production increased, the ministry will be able to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream to connect every city with Vande Bharat trains.
On the slow progress, Vaishnaw said when a new product is developed, it takes some time to stabilise it and solve day-to-day issues. “Now, the Vande Bharat train is very well tested. If you look at the number of kilometres it has run, the eight trains have covered a distance equivalent to 52 times covering the perimeter of the earth without any major hassle. Now we are very confident about the product,” he added.
Hydrogen trains by December 2023
Vaishnaw also said the ministry will launch its first made-in-India hydrogen train by December 2023. “It will be designed in India by our engineers. First, heritage circuits will be converted and later it will be expanded,” he added.
More circuit trains, mega solar plants
The minister said about 85 percent of the rail network has been electrified. Now, to generate electricity in a green manner, “we will develop ultra mega solar plants”, he said, adding that this will be another ‘green’ step by the ministry.
He said the bullet train is making great progress, and that the political issues in Maharashtra have been resolved now with the change in government. About five to six new circuit trains will also be launched in the coming months, he added.
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