- Thursday, May 02, 2024
The Vande Bharat trains’ global appeal is set to grow as Indian railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently revealed plans for their adaptation to international markets.
By: Shubham Ghosh
VANDE BHARAT Express, India’s semi high-speed train, which made its first journey in February 2019 and has revolutionised railway travel in the country since then, could now see tracks getting laid for its operation beyond the country’s borders.
According to a report by The Financial Express, the ‘engine-less train’ which runs on distributed traction, has gained admirers across the world and may soon be seen running in some South American nations such as Chile and Argentina who have shown interest in the same over a possible international trade.
Rahul Mithal, chairman and managing director of RITES Ltd (formerly Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited), the the export arm of Indian Railways for providing rolling stock, told The Express, “We targeted those countries which have electrified broad gauge railway systems. We picked South American countries like Chile and Argentina which require minimal customisation. We picked two to three Latin American countries and they are very much interested and find the product good.”
Read: Modi pilots Indian Railways toward ‘Viksit Bharat’ in quick time
Describing the development as an emerging trend, Mithal said when a country has been accustomed to using specific types of rolling stock, introducing one or two new racks poses challenges in terms of maintenance and training, among other factors.
The Vande Bharat trains’ global appeal is set to soar as Indian railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently revealed plans for their adaptation to international markets. He said the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu will focus on making standard-gauge Vande Bharat trains made particularly for export.
Read: Four reasons why Modi flags off each Vande Bharat train in India
“If we have to export Vande Bharat rakes five years from now we have to start now the process of designing as the process of designing, testing, getting national and international approval and manufacturing is a lengthy process,” Vaishaw was quoted as saying by The Express.
RITES has been playing a key role by strengthening the Vande Bharat manufacturing capacity by enabling inspection of various parts of the train along with giving consultancy to manufacturers.
“We have recently been declared as an ISA company, which is a very important accreditation for an inspection firm,” Mithal said, according to The Express.
The Indian company recently clinched significant contracts in countries such as Mozambique and Bangladesh. It also expanded its footprints globally with major products that are underway in countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Sri Lanka, and Guayana, among others.
