Indian Railways is moving ahead with plans to build new trainsets that can reach a design speed of 220 kmph, which is significantly faster than the current Vande Bharat Express. This move is expected to change the way people travel on long routes across the country. The Railway Board has officially cleared the production of these high-speed trains for the 2027-28 cycle at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.
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Design and manufacturing of 220 kmph trainsets
The upcoming trains will be 16-car sets built with a steel body and a design speed of 220 kmph. While the design limit is high, the trains will operate at a maximum speed of 200 kmph on the tracks. BEML was awarded the contract for designing and manufacturing these two trainsets in October 2024 for Rs 866.87 crore. These units will be manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai as part of the future rail expansion and will serve as a boost to domestic engineering.
Progress on high speed testing and rail corridors
- India is building a 64-km dedicated high-speed test track in Rajasthan which is expected to be ready by March 2026.
- Sleeper versions of Vande Bharat trains are also being prepared for a 220 kmph design speed to serve as Rajdhani alternatives.
- The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project aims for a design speed of 350 kmph with the first section opening in 2027.
- Seven new high-speed rail corridors have been identified in the Union Budget 2026-27 to connect cities like Delhi, Varanasi, and Bengaluru.