Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Refutes Delay Claims for Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has refuted claims in the media about delays in the production of Vande Bharat sleeper trains. These reports suggested that design clearance issues were causing the hold-up. Vaishnaw clarified during a media briefing on Thursday that design was never a problem with the Russian company involved in manufacturing these trains.

Some media outlets had cited officials from Transmashholding TMH, a Russian firm, stating that Indian Railways requested modifications to include toilets and a pantry car. This reportedly led to design changes needing approval from the ministry, which had not yet been granted. However, Vaishnaw dismissed these claims as unfounded.

Manufacturing Challenges and Solutions

The minister explained that the real challenge lay in the firm's limited manufacturing capacity. In Russia, trains typically have fewer coaches than those required in India. The company lacks experience in producing train sets with more than six or eight coaches. Vaishnaw stated, "We had clearly told them that we will give them design of Vande Bharat to follow. What they need is more manufacturing teams."

According to Vaishnaw, the contract specified that train sets must be manufactured with 16, 20, or 24 coaches. He emphasised that India's larger population necessitates longer trains on certain routes. The Russian firm was informed about this requirement from the outset.

Clarifications on Coach Requirements

The minister further elaborated that due to Russia's smaller population, their trains usually consist of six to eight coaches. This led the firm to question India's need for train sets with 16, 20, or 24 coaches. Vaishnaw assured that these concerns have been addressed and production will commence shortly.

The contract involves manufacturing 1,920 sleeper coaches. Despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise, Vaishnaw confirmed that all issues have been resolved and work is set to begin soon.

The minister's statements aim to dispel any misconceptions about delays and highlight the steps taken to ensure timely production of Vande Bharat sleeper trains.