State-owned BEML has received a contract valued at Rs 8.67 billion to develop India’s first indigenously manufactured bullet train. The order was placed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), a unit of Indian Railways, for the design, manufacturing, and commissioning of two high-speed trainsets, each comprising eight coaches. BEML reported that the cost for each coach is Rs 270.86 million, and the total contract amount covers design, one-time development, non-recurring charges, and expenses related to jigs, fixtures, tooling, and testing facilities.
This project marks a significant milestone in India’s high-speed rail development, with the locally designed trainsets expected to achieve a test speed of 280 km/h. The Shinkansen E5 series bullet trains, intended for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, can reach speeds of up to 320 km/h.
Reports from April 2024 suggested that India is moving towards developing its own high-speed bullet trains, moving away from reliance on Japanese technology for this route, as negotiations with Japan remain unresolved. Furthermore, BEML’s per-coach cost is notably lower than the Japanese proposal, which exceeds Rs 460 million per coach.
