Ashwini Vaishnaw reviews production of India's 1st bullet train
What's the story
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently visited BEML's Aditya manufacturing facility in Bengaluru to review the production of India's first indigenously built high-speed train, the Bharat Bullet Train (B-28). The train is being developed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor and is a major step toward building indigenous high-speed rail technology in India.
Project details
Vaishnaw reviewed specialized manufacturing infrastructure
The Bharat Bullet Train project combines advanced engineering with local manufacturing capabilities. It also emphasizes a passenger-centric design tailored to Indian operating conditions.
During his visit, Vaishnaw reviewed specialized manufacturing infrastructure such as precision-engineered jigs and fixtures used for carbody fabrication.
He witnessed key production stages like underframe, sidewall, and roof assembly, final car assembly, surface preparation, and treatment processes that meet stringent quality and safety standards required for high-speed rail operations.
Quality assurance
What is a 'squeeze test?'
Vaishnaw also witnessed a "squeeze test," a critical quality-assurance process where the train carbody is subjected to controlled compressive and tensile forces to assess structural strength, rigidity and dimensional stability.
He reviewed the manufacturing of side and roof modules, observing their integration into the final assembly process.
This was part of his detailed inspection of passenger seating and key onboard systems such as heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, couplers, among other critical train equipment.
Train specifications
Train to have one executive-class coach
The eight-coach Bharat Bullet Train will have a maximum test speed of 280km/h and an operational speed of 249km/h.
The trainset, which is around 202m long, will accommodate some 557 passengers.
It will comprise seven standard-class coaches with 3x2 seating and one executive-class coach with 2x2 seating.
The train will also feature an intelligent onboard control system, passenger information displays in English, Hindi, and regional languages, among other things.
Passenger amenities
Train will run on a 25kV AC traction system
The Bharat Bullet Train has been designed with passenger comfort in mind.
It will offer ergonomic seating, wide windows, LED lighting, overhead luggage racks, charging points, and bio-digester toilets.
The train will also have level boarding, retractable footsteps, among other accessibility features for Divyangjan passengers.
The train will run on a 25kV AC traction system and use regenerative braking technology to improve energy efficiency.