NEW DELHI (Metro Rail News): A consortium of BEML Limited and Medha Servo Drives has put forward its bid to the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) for designing and manufacturing 16 high-speed trainsets for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, as per a Moneycontrol report.
This move comes after NHSRCL issued a single-vendor tender earlier in February, specifically inviting BEML to participate in the process. With this submission, the consortium has formally entered the race to supply rolling stock for India’s first bullet train corridor.
In 2024, the Integral Coach Factory granted a contract valued at ₹866 crore to the BEML–Medha consortium for the development of two eight-coach high-speed trainsets. These trains are being developed to achieve a top speed of 280 kmph, with a scheduled operating speed of 250 kmph.
The BEML–Medha consortium has quoted approximately ₹250 crore per train for the proposed 16 trainsets, which also includes a seven-year maintenance agreement. Out of this, BEML’s portion covers the carbody and interior works and is estimated at around ₹150 crore per train, while Medha Servo Drives is expected to account for nearly ₹100 crore per train for propulsion equipment, bogies, and the Train Control and Management System (TCMS).
The first two prototype trainsets are projected to have about 50% indigenous content, with this share expected to rise gradually as the domestic supply ecosystem develops.
Delay in Shinkansen procurement
Talks with Japan regarding the supply of Shinkansen trainsets are still unresolved due to differences over pricing. As a result, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has decided to move forward with the procurement of 16 domestically manufactured trainsets to ensure sufficient rolling stock is available when operations begin.
The timeline for the rollout of the first prototype has now been pushed to March 2027 from the earlier target of December 2026, as manufacturing activities have not yet started.
Phased commercial operations
The Surat–Bilimora section of the Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor will become the first to witness the high-speed train operations in August 2027.
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