INDIA: Rolling stock manufacturer BEML has awarded Knorr-Bremse a contract to supply braking, door, air-conditioning and sanitary systems for two prototype 1 435 mm gauge trainsets it is developing to operate at up to 280 km/h.
Knorr-Bremse said the development would combine its global high speed train experience with local engineering at its factory in Palwal and technology centre in Pune. The supplier will begin delivering the rolling stock subsystems in 2026, and will provide BEML with 15 years of maintenance, repairs and spare parts supply services.
Indigenously designed trainsets
Following a competitive tender managed by IR’s Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the state-owned defence and mining and rail equipment supplier BEML was awarded an Rs8·67bn contract in October 2024 to supply two indigenously designed and manufactured 280 km/h eight-car high speed trainsets.
Delivery from BEML’s Bengaluru coach factory is scheduled by the end of 2026, with the trains to be deployed initially on the 558 km high speed line now under construction between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The stainless steel bodied trainsets will have reclining and rotatable seats, along with onboard infotainment systems. There will also be provision for passengers with reduced mobility.
The contract for two prototypes could be followed by an order for a further 10 series-built trainsets, which would also have Knorr-Bremse subsystems.
‘Pioneering’ project
‘By equipping the first Indian high speed trains, we have secured a pioneering mobility project, which we will support with local engineering and development expertise’, said Dr Nicolas Lange, Knorr-Bremse executive board member responsible for the group’s Rail Division, on September 2. ‘We have been a reliable partner to the rail transport industry in India for over 30 years and invest in technological capabilities and customer proximity on-site. Our modern locations and our presence underscore the importance of India as a transport market – both for the manufacture of products for India and for global export.’
Frank Uder, member of the management board of Knorr-Bremse Asia Pacific, said ‘BEML and Knorr-Bremse have already worked together successfully on numerous rail projects in India. We are delighted to now be contributing our technological expertise in safety and quality to India’s pioneering high speed segment.’
- Read more about Indian Railways’ domestic high speed strategy.
