STN: The Indian Railways has cancelled a ₹30,000 crore order for the Vande Bharat train project, which was awarded to the French engineering firm Alstom. This tender involved the manufacturing and maintenance of 100 aluminum-bodied Vande Bharat train sets over the next 35 years.
Concerns were raised by the tender panel about the company’s initial offer. As a result, Indian Railways entered into negotiations to lower the cost to ₹140 crore per train set. However, Alstom proposed a final settlement of ₹145 crore per train set.
About the Vande Bharat Train Order
Alstom manufactured and maintains the 100 aluminum-bodied Vande Bharat train sets. The bidding process started in June 2022, and they awarded the tender in February 2023. Alstom India and a consortium of Swiss company Stadler Rail and Hyderabad-based Medha Servo Drives were the only successful bidders. Alstom offered ₹150.9 crore per train set, while Medha proposed ₹169 crore per train set.
Sudhanshu Mani, the former General Manager of Integral Coach Factory and the creator of the Vande Bharat train, expressed disappointment over the cancellation. He noted that this was the second failed attempt to engage a manufacturer for aluminum-bodied trains. In 2017-18, they floated the Train20 tender for manufacturing 20 such train sets, but it also fell through.
Mr. Mani pointed out that if the tender had gone through, Alstom would have worked with Indian firms to set up a facility for producing the necessary materials for constructing the Vande Bharat train bodies. Reducing production costs could have occurred by manufacturing more components locally. He emphasized that cancelling the tender sets the project back by several years.
Conclusion
The Vande Bharat express is a semi-high-speed train with a maximum operational speed of 160 km per hour. It aims to enhance connectivity and reduce travel time between major cities, with lower energy consumption compared to local trains, benefiting the environment. The cancellation of this Vande Bharat train order may delay these advancements.
