Manufacturing work is progressing at the upgraded Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur, with the first prototype of the Vande Bharat sleeper train expected to roll out during the current financial year, the company said at its annual general meeting. RVNL chairman Saleem Ahmad provided the update at the firm's 23rd annual general meeting.

RVNL and Russian firm Transmashholding have formed Kinet Railway Solutions Ltd, an Indo-Russian joint venture tasked with manufacturing 120 Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets, each comprising 16 coaches, at the Marathwada factory in Maharashtra. The first prototype was earlier scheduled to be ready by June 2026, but the deadline has been extended to March 31 next year.

Ahmad said the company is rebalancing its order book and has entered rolling stock manufacturing while executing large-scale telecommunications infrastructure projects and expanding into contracts won through competitive bidding. He noted that RVNL has built capabilities in complex rail infrastructure with a presence across 16 states and an expanding international footprint.

The company has commissioned and handed over 158 projects to Indian Railways, covering new lines, gauge conversion, doubling, railway electrification, workshops and other critical infrastructure, which together have contributed to the creation of more than 17,000 km of rail infrastructure. During financial year 2025-26 RVNL commissioned and handed over 173.82 km of railway infrastructure, including the 150.28-km Phephna-Indara-Mau-Shahganj section, and completed 173 km of railway electrification along with four traction substations, eight switching posts and 12 SCADA systems.

RVNL continued work in challenging terrain, completing 23 km of tunnel excavation during FY2025-26 and recording progress on major hill railway projects across Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The company commissioned 19 workshop projects and reported significant progress at the Kazipet Wagon periodic overhauling workshop and the Vadodara overhauling shop for electric locomotives, both slated for commissioning during the current financial year, and has established five joint venture special purpose vehicles for rail connectivity projects.