The Indian Railways will manufacture the Vande Bharat train wheels at its Bengaluru factory to ensure the timely execution of the project. In the Union Budget 2022-2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the development and manufacturing of 400 new Vande Bharat trains in three years. The current target is to introduce 75 trains by August 15, 2023. However, the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia has delayed the arrival of the wheels from Ukraine, which is the largest hub of wheel manufacturing.
India had placed a cumulative order for 36,000 wheels at a cost of USD 16 million. Although the first batch of 128 wheels has been transported from Ukraine to Romania by road, it is stuck there. These are expected to be airlifted to India by the third week of May. From there, the wheels will be brought to Chennai and taken to the Integral Coach Factory for assembling.
The Railways decided to manufacture wheels at the factory in Yelahanka, Bengaluru, to arrange surplus wheels not just for the first batch but for upcoming sets as well. If India has surplus products, moving to the next phase won’t be delayed.
The Railway Wheel Factory in Bengaluru will now prioritise manufacturing these forged wheels for two Vande Bharat rakes. A rake of the Vande Bharat Express has 16 coaches. Tenders have been issued for parts required for these wheels. The expectation is to complete the production within the next two-three months.
Currently, the Indian Railways imports 60-70 per cent of wheels. The decision will reduce the Railways’ dependence on imports.
The war has created a fear of a shortage of wheels for freight cars in the global market. Ukraine is one of the largest manufacturers of wheels worldwide with 70 per cent of its orders coming from the European Union.
