AHMEDABAD (Metro Rail News): Indian Railways is investing around ₹307 crore in a specialized maintenance factory at Sabarmati in Ahmedabad to handle major repairs of 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets. The project is expected to reduce the need to send trains to other locations for maintenance covered by the new infrastructure.
Western Railway’s (WR) Ahmedabad Division is developing the facility as Phase II of the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot (ICD). The expansion will bring heavy repairs, wheel servicing, and overhauling of key electrical and mechanical equipment under one roof.
Handling the maintenance of Vande Bharat trainsets
The new hub is designed to carry out scheduled SS-I and SS-II shop maintenance for 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets. According to the project plan, the two maintenance cycles will require different periods and determine the facility’s annual capacity.
- SS-I maintenance: Around 30 days per trainset, with capacity for approximately 12 trainsets annually.
- SS-II maintenance: Around 45 days per trainset, with capacity for approximately eight trainsets annually.
These figures represent the planned capacity for each maintenance schedule, rather than a combined annual throughput.
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Heavy repairing bay nearing completion
The Heavy Repair Bay Shed is a key component of the project. Measuring 322 metres by 25 metres, the structure covers approximately 86,597 square feet and will have two maintenance lines for different types of work.
One line will use synchronised pit jacks to lift coaches and allow bogies to be removed. The second will handle repairs and servicing of coach interiors, passenger amenities, braking equipment and electrical systems. The arrangement is intended to support maintenance jobs that require access to both the train’s underframe and its onboard systems.
Dedicated sheds for electrical and mechanical equipment
The project also includes section sheds measuring 322 metres by 20 metres, with a reported area of around 69,334 square feet. These facilities will support the dismantling, assembly and overhaul of major train components. Equipment scheduled for maintenance includes:
- Traction transformers and traction converters
- Traction motors and auxiliary converters
- Isolation transformers
- Pantographs
- Roof-mounted packaged air-conditioning units (RMPUs)
The specialised workspaces will allow maintenance teams to service these components within the depot instead of relying on facilities at other locations for work covered by the new setup.
Track and electrical infrastructure progress
Track infrastructure and supporting facilities have also advanced. Rail linking across four stabling lines, covering approximately 2,547 metres, has been completed. The Ahmedabad Division has also reported that work on both maintenance lines inside the Heavy Repair Bay Shed is nearing completion. The Electrical Substation (ESS) building, measuring 30 metres by 20 metres and covering around 6,458 square feet, has been completed and handed over.
No overall commissioning date for the maintenance hub has been specified in the information available.
Maintenance capacity for longer Vande Bharat trainsets
The Sabarmati project is aimed at expanding Western Railway’s ability to undertake scheduled heavy maintenance of 24-coach Vande Bharat trains. Its operational value will depend on the completion of the remaining work, installation and commissioning of equipment, and the start of maintenance operations.
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