Boost For Indian Railways: 40,000 Bogies To Get Vande Bharat Makeover

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced in her interim budget that 40,000 normal railway bogies will be converted to Vande Bharat standards.

"For the Railways sector, the government will implement three major railway corridor programs, namely cement, port connectivity, and high traffic density corridors, under the PM GATI Shakti scheme. 40,000 normal rail boggies will be converted to Vande Bharat standards to enhance safety and convenience," The Finance Minister said in her budget speech.

The Finance Minister is presenting the Modi 2.0 government's last Budget before the general elections. It is technically a vote on account and popularly termed an interim Budget as it seeks Parliament's nod for a grant in advance to meet the central government's essential expenditure for the first four months of the new fiscal year that starts in April.

The Vande Bharat Express is a train service provided by the Indian Railways that operates at a semi-high speed. This service utilizes specialized Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) that have been designed and manufactured by the Indian Railways at their Integral Coach Factory located in Chennai.

As of December 2023, there are currently 41 Vande Bharat trains in operation. This includes sixteen trains consisting of 16 cars each, as well as twenty-five trains consisting of 8 cars each.

A new government elected after the April/May general elections will present the full Budget, likely in July.