BANGALORE. Union Minister for Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, visited BEML Limited’s manufacturing facility in Bengaluru to review the final-stage production activities of India’s first indigenously designed and manufactured bullet train. The visit marks a significant milestone in the country’s journey towards developing indigenous high-speed rail technology under the Government’s Make in India initiative. The trainset is being developed for deployment on the prestigious Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor.
During the visit, the Minister held detailed discussions with senior BEML officials and reviewed the progress of this flagship railway project. Designed specifically to suit Indian operating and climatic conditions, the eight-car trainset is approximately 202 metres long, with an aerodynamic nose design to minimize air resistance and tunnel pressure waves. It will operate on a 25 kV AC traction system, incorporate regenerative braking technology and achieve a maximum test speed of 280 km/h, with a commercial operating speed of 249 km/h.
The train will accommodate 557 passengers across seven standard-class coaches and one executive-class coach, with provision for coupling two trainsets to form a 16-car configuration. It also incorporates several passenger-friendly features, including dedicated facilities for Divyangjan, wheelchair-accessible doors, retractable footsteps, Braille-enabled signage, modern bio-digester toilets, emergency talk-back systems, Wi-Fi-based infotainment and multilingual LCD passenger information displays.
The Minister’s visit underscores the Government’s commitment to advancing self-reliance in cutting-edge railway technology and strengthening India’s indigenous manufacturing capabilities. The project represents a major step towards establishing a modern, energy-efficient, safe and accessible high-speed rail ecosystem in the country, with BEML playing a pivotal role in realizing this landmark railway initiative.
