According to the Russian news agency TASS, Transmashholding (TMH), the country's largest producer of locomotives and rail equipment, has won the contract to build, supply, and maintain 120 Vande Bharat express trains for the Indian Railways. The 16-car long-distance trains are a component of a major initiative to retool the national carrier for long-distance routes. The maximum speed they can go is 160 kilometres per hour.
The tender's terms required that the contract be signed by June 1st. The contract will reportedly pay $1.8 billion for the supply of the Vande Bharat trains and $2.5 billion for their upkeep over a 35-year period. The contract's overall worth might reach $6.5 billion when the indexation is taken into account.
CEO of Transmashholding, Kirill Lipa, stated at a news conference that although the decision had been reached, the actual paperwork had not yet been signed. This will happen within 45 days after March 29.
Together with the Indian government-owned engineering and construction firm RVNL, TMH participated in the tender. The Russian company outbid bids from Siemens, Alstom, Stadler, and a group of local producers led by Titagarh and BHEL, who placed second in the competition.
According to the report, the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory of Indian Railways in Latur, Maharashtra, will localise the production of the trains. Between 2026 and 2030 is the anticipated delivery window for the trains. However, the initial two prototypes won't be available for testing until the end of 2025.
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