India Begins Construction on Home-built Bullet Train

19 Apr 2024 CW Team

India has commenced the construction of a domestically manufactured bullet train that is set to surpass speeds of 250 kilometers per hour (kmph) outspacing all existing trains within the Indian Railways network.

It is being built on the Vande Bharat platform that can already clock a maximum speed of 220 kmph.

The designs for this groundbreaking initiative are being crafted at the Indian Railways' Integral Coach Factory (ICF) situated in Chennai.

Globally, high-speed trains are categorized as those that operate at speeds exceeding 250 kmph, exemplified by renowned models like the French TGV and the Japanese Shinkansen.

India has opted for Japanese technology for the bullet trains designated for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai line currently under construction. The selected Shinkansen E5 series bullet trains boast a top speed of 320 kmph.

So far, the focus has been on enhancing the speed capabilities of Indian Railways trains. The (proposed) variant Vande Bharat trains can now reach from zero to 100 kmph in 52 seconds while the existing bullet trains do this in 54 seconds.

ICF, the force behind the indigenously developed Vande Bharat trains, will oversee the production of the made-in-India bullet trains. These trains will traverse the recently announced north, south, and east corridors, employing more Indian technology and domestic manufacturing, as stated by the official.

These endeavors will complement the Western Corridor, developed with Japanese collaboration and technology. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) extends a soft loan of approximately ?400 billion for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project.

National High-Speed Rail Corp. Ltd (NHSRCL), the implementing body of the bullet train project, recently reported the completion of 300 km of pier work. Land acquisition for the entire 508 km stretch was successfully concluded in January.

Infrastructure Urban

10 Mar 2026

ABB to Invest Rs 6.25 Billion to Expand India Manufacturing

ABB recently announced plans to invest approximately Rs 6.25 billion ($75 million) in India during 2026 to expand its manufacturing footprint and research and development capabilities. The investment follows more than $35 million spent in 2025 and reflects the company’s continued focus on strengthening its ‘local-for-local’ strategy in the country.The investment will support ABB’s Electrification, Motion and Automation businesses and expand manufacturing capacity for infrastructure sectors such as renewable energy, metro rail, data centres and industrial applications. Approximately 300..

Six WOLFF Cranes Handle 60,000 m³ Concrete for German Hospital

Six WOLFF tower cranes are playing a key role in constructing a new hospital complex in Memmingen, Germany, supporting large-scale material handling for the project. The facility is being built on a 7.7-hectare site and will feature six floors, around 480 beds and a gross floor area exceeding 75,000 sq m.Building shell works began recently in February 2025. One WOLFF 6531.12 Cross crane supported early site preparation before being dismantled in autumn 2025, while five remaining cranes continue operations. Over an average deployment period of 16 months, the cranes are expected to move approxim..

REC Funds Rs 115.6 Million CSR Support for Bihar Eye Hospital

REC recently committed Rs 115.6 million under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for the procurement of clinical and non-clinical equipment at Sankara Eye Hospital in Saharsa, Bihar. The initiative aims to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve access to specialised eye care services in the region.A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was recently signed between Pradeep Fellows, Executive Director (CSR), REC Limited, and Wg Cdr V. Shankar (Retd), Trustee and Executive Director of Sankara Eye Hospital, at the REC office in the SCOPE Complex, New Delhi.The support is expecte..