Alstom Emerges as Lowest Bidder for Vande Bharat Trainsets

01 Jun 2023 CW Team

French railway giant Alstom has emerged as the preferred bidder for the production and maintenance of 100 aluminium Vande Bharat trainsets, worth Rs 30,000 crore. Alstom, a key player in India's railway and urban transport sector, offered a bid of Rs 150.99 crore per trainset.

The consortium of Swiss rolling stock company Stadler Rail and India's Medha Servo followed closely with a bid of Rs 169.9 crore per trainset. Only these two players made the cut during the tender's technical bid opening on February 23. The manufacturing cost will be paid upon delivery, with the remaining Rs 17,000 crore covering maintenance for 35 years.

Alstom had previously lost the bid for the mega order of 200 stainless steel Vande Bharat trains, with its bid for aluminium trainsets being Rs 30 crore higher per unit. The higher cost is attributed to the higher speed capability and energy efficiency of the aluminium trainsets. However, the Indian Railways currently lacks tracks for such speeds.

The introduction of sleeper-class Vande Bharat trains is also expected with the pipeline of 300 trainsets, with the first sleeper Vande Bharat anticipated to launch in early 2024.

Also Read
Tata allocates Rs 76 billion to support electronics business expansion
India expands scope of semiconductor ambitions, Vedanta seeks lifeline

Infrastructure Transport

08 Oct 2025

Patna Joins India’s Metro Map With Blue Line Launch

Patna, the capital of Bihar, officially joined India’s growing list of metro cities as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the first phase of the Patna Metro Rail on Monday. The inaugural section of the Blue Line runs from the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) to Bhoothnath, covering three key stations — Patliputra ISBT, Zero Mile, and Bhoothnath.The inaugural ceremony was held at the Patliputra Bus Depot, attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha. Passenger services are set to commence from Tuesday.For now, commuters will be able to travel along a 4.3-kil..

Kochi Water Metro To Launch Mattancherry Route By Mid-October

The Kochi Water Metro is set to commence ferry operations between the city and Mattancherry by mid-October, offering much-needed relief to commuters long troubled by traffic bottlenecks along narrow city roads and bridges.The new route, extending from the High Court terminal, follows Kochi Water Metro Limited (KWML)’s preparation to commission the long-awaited ferry terminals at Mattancherry and Willingdon Island, both key nodes in the city’s water transport network.According to KWML Chief Operating Officer Sajan John, the Mattancherry terminal will feature floating pontoons capable of ber..

Euro Panel Launches SolidAl, A Fire-Safe Aluminium Facade

Euro Panel Products Ltd, the parent company of EUROBOND—one of India’s leading metal composite panel brands—has launched SolidAl, a fully solid, PVDF/FEVE-coated, non-combustible aluminium panel that expands its portfolio of premium façade solutions. The new product aligns with modern industry needs for safety, durability, and sustainability, marking a significant step forward in contemporary architectural materials.Manufactured from high-grade aluminium alloys (3003/5005/5052), SolidAl is available in 2 mm, 2.3 mm, and 3 mm thicknesses, offering exceptional strength, longevity, and ver..