• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurates ‘Aditya Complex’ at BEML, Bengaluru
• The complex will manufacture coaches for the new B28 high-speed trains

Bengaluru: Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated ‘Aditya’, a specialised complex dedicated to manufacturing high-speed rail at BEML Tippasandra Campus here yesterday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that high-speed rail technology is incredibly complex and intricate, noting that its development within our country marks a significant milestone for indigenous engineering.

“Aditya complex is designed for the development of B-28 coaches.  The advent of these high-speed trains will cause major cities to be seen as extensions of one another by reducing the travel time considerably. These trains are expected to reduce the travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru to just 73 minutes, effectively making the two cities part of a single integrated hub,” he added.

New trains to be introduced

The Minister said that connectivity will be enhanced by introduction of two new services. A new Mail Express featuring LHB coaches will be introduced via Hubballi and a Vande Bharat Sleeper Express is scheduled to commence operations soon.

In order to enhance the regional connectivity, the Minister confirmed that the Vande Bharat service between Mangaluru and Bengaluru will be launched very soon and added that Railways had taken into consideration the linking of Madgaon and other coastal cities of Karnataka prior to implementation.

“Technical hurdles have been cleared including the completion of electrification on the Hassan-Mangaluru section and the integration of Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) systems for safety on steep coastal gradients,” he said.

800 coaches every year

The newly inaugurated ‘Aditya’ complex, located on a 80-acre land, developed under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission, is equipped to manufacture India’s first indigenous bullet train ‘B28’. The complex has a capacity to manufacture more than 800 coaches. The facility will also manufacture hangers and test tracks for the high-speed trains. Aditya complex is also expected to manufacture ‘B35’ next generation train that can travel at 350 kmph in the coming days.

Ashwini Vaishnaw also added that the passengers will have flight-like experience with the ‘B28’ train travelling at a speed of 250 kmph. The train will have air-conditioned executive class coaches and other facilities.

The coaches, manufactured using robotic spot welding, laser cutting and CVC technology, can withstand the extreme high temperature, monsoon and dusty weathers.

Rs. 867 crore deal

The Ministry of Railways has entered into Rs. 867 crore deal with BEML for designing, manufacturing, development and tooling of the new high-speed trains. The two high-speed trains will comprise eight cars each, all of which will be fully air-conditioned. The first prototype is expected to be ready by March, 2027. The first operational use of B28 train is planned on 97-km section between Surat and Vapi which is a part of 508 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.