Against the Centre's announcement in 2022 of rolling out 400 Vande Bharat Express trains in the coming three years, till date only two are operating.
The first Vande Bharat Express, India's first semi-high speed train from Delhi to Varanasi, was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 15, 2019.
The Vande Bharat Express, which became the fastest train in the country, has proved with its speed that it not only makes passengers reach their destination in less time, but also delivers a flight-like experience to them.
It was claimed that lakhs of youths will get employment in the making of the Vande Bharat Express trains.
It was also claimed that these trains will run across the country but the reality is something else. It has a locomotive engine.
After Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget speech in 2022, Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw had informed that from August-September, work will be done at a fast pace and every month seven to eight Vande Bharat Express trains will be rolled out.
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But the question that arises is that if every month only seven to eight Vande Bharat trains will be rolled out, how will 400 trains be brought on the tracks in three years.
IANS tried to approach the Railway authorities with these questions but the department is tight-lipped over it.
It indicates that there is some internal reason for the delay in rolling out the Vande Bharat Express trains due to which the officials are avoiding questions.
Railways aims to run 75 Vande Bharat trains by Aug 15 next year
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw a few weeks ago inspected the Vande Bharat trains being manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. After finding all okay, he handed them over to the R&D wing of the Railway, Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in Lucknow. The RDSO will examine the trains and after being fully satisfied, it will give safety clearance, paving the way for rolling out the trains.
The Indian Railways is aiming to run 75 new Vande Bharat trains by August 15 next year. Therefore, the construction of these trains has been expedited as the target of the Railways is that seven to eight trains should be ready every month. But looking at the pace, it seems that rolling of the trains may get delayed.
IANS tried to speak to the Railway officials and also sent queries to the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, over the seeming delay in the project, but in vain.
According to Indian Railways, some new technology and upgradation is being done in every new Vande Bharat train, due to which gradually the cost is also increasing. The cost of construction of a 16-coach Vande Bharat train has reached around Rs 110 crore-Rs 120 crore, whereas it was started at a cost of Rs 106 crore. The ICF is planning to manufacture around 10 trains every month.
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The Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala and Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli will also start manufacturing the coaches to meet the target of 400 Vande Bharat trains in the next 3 years.
A decision was taken to make Vande Bharat on the lines of Make in India, but even after investing crores of rupees, Vande Bharat has not yet gained the momentum that was expected. It is being said that many times the tender process was stalled.
