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.
A significant initiative to re-equip the national carrier on long-distance routes includes the 16-car long-distance trains. According to the article, they will be capable of reaching speeds of up to 160 km per hour.
The deal has to be signed by June 1 according to the terms of the tender. According to the newspaper, the contract calls for spending $1.8 billion to purchase the Vande Bharat trains and $2.5 billion to maintain them over a 35-year period. The contract's total value might reach $6.5 billion taking into account indexation.
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.
The Marathwada Rail Coach Factory of Indian Railways, located in Latur, Maharashtra, is where the trains will be produced locally, according to the article. It's anticipated that the trains will be delivered between 2026 and 2030. But by the end of 2025, the first two prototypes will be prepared for testing.
