Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 March 2024 through a video conference in Ahmedabad, Gujarat dedicated to the nation the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory at Latur, Maharashtra which will manufacture Vande Bharat train set. The Prime Minister also inaugurated various projects in Maharashtra.

Projects inaugurated in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated five Jan Aushadi Kendras (for affordable and quality generic medicines) at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai), Manmad (Nashik), Pimpri, Solapur and Nagbhir (Chandrapur).

The PM also inaugurated a wagon repair workshop at Badnera and Vande Bharat chair car maintenance-cum-workshop depot in Pune.

Marathwada Rail Coach Factory

The Marathwada Rail Coach Factory at Latur in Maharashtra is a project of the government of India-owned public sector company Rail Vikas Nigam Limited(RVNL).

The Marathwada Rail Coach Factory specialises in building self-propelled rail coaches for the Indian Railways.

The RVNL has set up a joint venture with a Russian Transmashholding (TMH) company to produce, supply and maintain 120 Vande Bharat Express trains. The 16-car Vande Bharat train will be produced at the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur.

The trains will be delivered to the Indian Railway between 2026 and 2030. The first two prototypes are expected to be ready for trials by 2025.

Vande Bharat Train

Vande Bharat train is part of ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government of India. It has been funded by the government and is the country’s first semi-high speed self propelled train. It is a self-propelled train that can move without any locomotive (engine). The train will ultimately replace the existing Shatabdi trains.

The train was designed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) of the Indian Railways and was first manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.

The train has been designed in India and around 50% of the train components are manufactured in India.

The train was earlier called ‘Train 18”. The train has a top speed of 180 Km per hour but runs at a maximum speed of 130 Km per hour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched The Vanda Bharat train on the Delhi-Varanasi route on 15 February 2019.

According to the Indian Railways, 82 Vande Bharat trains are operational as of 31st January 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had initially set a target to operational 75 Vande Bharat trains by August 2023. However, due to operational constraints, the deadline was extended to August 2024.