Railway minister dismisses reports of delay in Vande Bharat sleeper trains over design

Earlier, a conception of media quoting officials from the Russian institution Transmashholding (TMH) reported that Indian Railways demanded toilets and a pantry car successful the bid which necessitated tweaking the trains’ design.

The reports further said the steadfast addressed Railway Ministry’s concerns with a alteration successful plan and sent it to the ministry for clearance, which, however, hasn’t responded with its consent.

As per the contracts, the steadfast is expected to manufacture 1,920 sleeper coaches.

However, ministry sources said these reports were baseless arsenic the existent issues were with respect to the constricted manufacturing capabilities of the steadfast due to the fact that successful Russia, trains person little fig of coaches arsenic compared to India.

“The steadfast doesn’t person acquisition to manufacture a bid acceptable of much than six oregon 8 coaches. We had intelligibly told them that we volition springiness them plan of Vande Bharat to follow. What they request is much manufacturing teams,” Vaishnaw said.

He added, “I privation to clarify that erstwhile the declaration was signed, it intelligibly said that they person to manufacture bid sets with coaches 16/20/24.” According to the minister, the steadfast was intelligibly told that India has a bigger colonisation truthful connected immoderate routes 24 coaches were needed, portion 16 coaches were required connected different routes.

Ministry sources said that since trains usually person six to 8 coaches successful Russia owed to little population, the steadfast wanted to cognize wherefore we request a bid acceptable with 16, 20 oregon 24 coaches.

The sources said issues person been resolved and the enactment volition commencement precise soon.