Railways ask ICF to make two trains of 250 km per hour

07 Jun 2024 CW Team

First, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the Ministry of Railways' production unit, has been ordered to build two trains with a top speed of 250 km/h (kmph).The Railway Board requested that the ICF create these two trains as part of its 2024?2025 manufacturing schedule in a letter dated June 4. With a maximum speed of 250 kmph and a running speed of 220 kmph, the trains would be constructed with a steel body. Standard gauges will be used for construction. The trains will use the Vande Bharat platform, according to authorities, as part of the transporter's strategy to boost the pace of upcoming Vande Bharat trains. The railways said these would be eight-coach trains. It has been building a standard gauge train test track in Rajasthan for the last year, mainly to evaluate its capabilities for creating high-speed trains and exporting Vande Bharat trains, which need to be converted from broad gauge to standard gauge, the most widely used gauge in the world. There are no fast-moving trains in India. According to experts, the project is anticipated to pose a significant challenge. Sudhanshu Mani, former general manager of the ICF who led the development of the initial Vande Bharat trains, remarked that achieving a standard gauge train with a speed of 250 kmph by March 2025, considering the top speed of Vande Bharat trains is 180 kmph, is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. He suggested that the ICF could be motivated with sufficient autonomy and, under committed leadership, undertake this development over a period of three to four years. He emphasised that, if successful, it would mark a significant milestone. However, he criticised the issuance of letters proposing unrealistic targets, deeming it counterproductive. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the caretaker minister for railways, stated to Business Standard that the government's objective has been to indigenize high-speed rail technology. He mentioned that high-speed trains on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridors are being constructed using Japanese technology from Shinkansen, or bullet trains, and the government has been learning from these experiences to develop similar trains in India.

Infrastructure Transport

06 May 2026

Pune To Build Nine Km Link Road Between Highways

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to appoint an expert to plan the development of a nine km long, 60 metre wide road from Khadi Machine chowk to Wadki chowk as an extension to the Katraj-Kondhwa road to link the Mumbai-Satara and Pune-Solapur national highways. The scheme is intended to divert heavy vehicle traffic away from the city and improve access between the two arterial routes. The project has been prioritised by the PMC and forms part of a larger set of schemes in which 19 roads have been identified for development at a combined cost of Rs 9.82 billion (bn) to address c..

Barabanki Bahraich Six Lane Highway Approved in Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh government has approved construction of a new six-lane highway linking Barabanki and Bahraich as part of National Highway 927, and the cabinet has cleared the project. The alignment will pass through Mustafabad and Kaiserganj and extend for about 101.5 km, creating a key corridor for local and long-distance movement. The National Highways Authority of India will oversee the work and has signalled the scheme is intended to strengthen regional connectivity and cross-border access to Nepal. The project carries an estimated total cost of Rs 69,690 million, equivalent to Rs 69.69..

Toll At Kharegaon Likely As Highway Upgrade Nears Completion

A section of the highway at Kharegaon has undergone an upgrade and is approaching completion, and authorities have indicated plans for a toll to be introduced once works finish. The project has focused on strengthening the carriageway, improving drainage and upgrading intersections to enhance safety and capacity. Officials have said the toll will be used to recover construction costs and fund ongoing maintenance. The upgrade included resurfacing of the pavement, widening of certain stretches and installation of modern signage and lighting to reduce accident risk. Contractors completed most ma..