'Design not problem...': Minister on Vande Bharat sleeper trains' delay
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has dismissed reports of delay in manufacturing Vande Bharat sleeper trains over design clearance issues. He said design was not a problem with Transmashholding (TMH), the Russian firm involved in the project. Instead, Vaishnaw attributed the delay to TMH's limited manufacturing capabilities as Russian trains typically have fewer coaches as compared to India.
Minister highlights India's unique train requirements
Vaishnaw explained that since India's population is larger, trains with 16, 20 or 24 coaches are needed. "The firm doesn't have experience to manufacture a train set of more than six or eight coaches," he said. He stressed that the contract mandated train sets with these larger capacities. TMH had reportedly questioned the requirement of such large train sets, causing initial confusion.
Design modifications and future manufacturing plans
Reports had suggested that Indian Railways sought additional features such as toilets and a pantry car, leading to design changes. TMH took these concerns into account and submitted a revised design for approval from the Railway Ministry. The firm has been contracted to manufacture 1,920 sleeper coaches for Indian Railways. Despite these initial hiccups, Vaishnaw assured that issues have been resolved and manufacturing will begin soon.
