The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur and the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE), Jamalpur, have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen railway officials’ technical capabilities in advanced rolling stock technologies. The five-year collaboration will focus on systems used in Vande Bharat trains and three-phase Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMUs).

The agreement will facilitate specialised residential training programmes covering electrical safety and traction systems. It was signed by IRIMEE Dean Prem Prakash and IIT Kharagpur Dean of Outreach Swagata Dasgupta, according to the institute. The initiative is being coordinated by IIT Kharagpur’s Centre for Railway Research (CRR).

The curriculum will cover electrical safety and protection systems, Vande Bharat traction and propulsion systems, converters, traction motors and Train Control and Management Systems. It will also include MEMU traction equipment, rolling stock diagnostics, electrical condition monitoring, reliability engineering, and regenerative and mechanical braking systems.

The programmes will combine expert lectures with laboratory experiments, practical exposure to electrical and electronic systems, and guided field visits. The format is intended to provide railway officials with hands-on understanding of modern train technologies and their operational requirements.

IIT Kharagpur said the collaboration would enable its faculty members to train officials in electrical safety, advanced propulsion and braking systems used in Vande Bharat trains. The trained personnel would be better equipped to contribute to standards and specifications, while the partnership would support improved safety and reliability, efficient maintenance and troubleshooting, and stronger indigenous capabilities in advanced rolling stock technology.