BHEL Bhopal Gets Key Role in ₹24,000-Crore Vande Bharat Sleeper Project

BHEL’s Bhopal plant is set to manufacture critical electrical equipment for 80 Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets, giving the public sector engineering major a key role in a project valued at around ₹24,000 crore.

BHEL’s Heavy Electrical Plant (HEP), Bhopal, will manufacture important propulsion equipment, including traction motors and transformers, for the sleeper trains. BHEL is also supplying traction converters for the project.

The 80 Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets are being manufactured by the BHEL–Titagarh Rail Systems consortium for Indian Railways. The contract covers the manufacturing, testing, commissioning and supply of the trainsets, besides 35 years of comprehensive maintenance.

The project is among the major railway manufacturing orders involving BHEL and is expected to significantly expand the company’s role in India’s modern passenger rail programme.

Bhopal to manufacture core electrical equipment

The Bhopal plant’s role is centred on equipment that forms the electrical and propulsion backbone of the train.

Traction motors, transformers and traction converters are critical to converting electrical power into the traction required to move the train. BHEL has already commenced supply of underslung traction converters for the Vande Bharat Sleeper programme.

The use of underslung equipment allows key electrical systems to be positioned beneath the train, freeing valuable space within the passenger coaches.

160 kmph operating speed

The Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets are being developed for long-distance overnight journeys and are designed for an operating speed of up to 160 kmph, with a design speed of around 176 kmph.

The sleeper version of the Vande Bharat platform is aimed at combining faster inter-city travel with overnight accommodation, expanding the Vande Bharat programme beyond day-time chair-car services.

35-year maintenance commitment

The BHEL–Titagarh consortium’s responsibility extends well beyond manufacturing the trains.

BHEL and Titagarh Rail Systems have entered into a 50:50 joint venture for comprehensive maintenance of the 80 trainsets over their 35-year service life.

The combination of manufacturing and long-term maintenance gives BHEL a continuing role in the programme after the trains enter service.

For Bhopal, the project brings a substantial assignment involving advanced railway electrical and propulsion systems. For BHEL, it strengthens the company’s position as an indigenous supplier of critical equipment for India’s next generation of passenger trains.