Indian-Russian JV Contract for 120 Vande Bharat Trains

For the production of 120 Vande Bharat trains with sleeper coaches, the Indian Railways has awarded a letter of award to JSC Metrovagonmash-Mytischi (TMH), a Russian firm with experience in the production of railroad rolling stock. The Russian business and Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, a public sector organisation in India, are partners in a joint venture (RVNL). With a price of $14.6 million per train, the joint venture won the tender procedure as the lowest bidder. The coaches would be produced in Latur, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, according to media reports on the joint Russian-Indian business. According to the Railways, TMH-order RVNL's could be increased to 200. The second-lowest bidder was informed by the Indian Railways that it was prepared to make an offer to produce 80 trains for them if they could match the India-Russian venture's bid price. An Indian joint venture between Titagarh Wagons and the public sector company Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) was the second-lowest bidder. The offer from the Titagarh-BHEL cooperation was around $17 million per train.