PremiumNearly 1,600 coaches will be manufactured by the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory at Latur in central Maharashtra for the upgraded version of Vande Bharat Express trains in the coming years, said the minister.
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Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said that the advanced version of Vande Bharat trains will be able to attain a maximum speed of 200 km per hour (kmph). He was addressing the 'Destination Marathwada' event, organized by the Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA), in Aurangabad.
Nearly 1,600 coaches will be manufactured by the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory at Latur in central Maharashtra for the upgraded version of Vande Bharat Express trains in the coming years, said the minister, adding that each of them will cost ₹8 crore to ₹9 crore, according to the news agency PTI.
"The next version of Vande Bharat trains will be manufactured in Marathwada. Nearly 1,600 coaches will be manufactured at the facility in Latur. Each coach will cost ₹8 crore to 9 crores. The project will create opportunities for companies located in a radius of 400 km to 500 km," he stated as quoted by PTI.
"The maximum speed of these trains will be 200 kmph as compared to 180 kmph now. The first coach of this version will be rolled out in the next 15 to 16 months," Vaishnaw added.
Speaking about the challenges in manufacturing the semi-high speed trains, he said, "We succeeded in bringing down the noise level inside them to 60-65 decibels which is less than an aircraft (85-90 decibels)."
The Railway Minister further stated that the speed of laying railway tracks has gone up since 2014, that is, 12 km per day, which was earlier 4 km per day. However, the government intends to scale this speed up to 20 km per day, he added.
Aurangabad will get a 5G internet facility before March 31, 2023, he said. The Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) will be projected as an investment destination by the railway ministry, Vaishnaw said.
(With PTI inputs)