BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited), the government-owned company based in Bengaluru, will begin building India’s first bullet train prototype in September 2025. This work will take place at the same factory where BEML currently makes Vande Bharat sleeper trains, as reported by The Financial Express.
Shantanu Roy, BEML’s Chairman and Managing Director, said the train is currently in the design phase. Once the designs are completed in the next few months, the manufacturing process will begin.
“We’re still working on the design. Once that’s finished, we plan to start building by September,” Roy told The Financial Express.
He added that this project uses advanced technologies in areas such as passenger safety, signalling systems, TCMS (Train Control and Management System), welding, and metal work.
The project was given to BEML in October last year by Integral Coach Factory. It includes designing, building, and testing two high-speed trainsets. Each train will have eight coaches and can reach a top speed of 280 kmph.
Although the trains will be tested at 280 kmph, they will run at a regular speed of 249 kmph.
The total cost of the project is ₹866.87 crore. That means each coach will cost around ₹27.86 crore, which is much cheaper than Japan’s Shinkansen coaches that cost between ₹46 and ₹48 crore each.
The first coach is expected to be ready by the end of financial year 2025–26. After that, it will go through strict tests including those done in special climate rooms and pressure tests.
“Once the first coach is approved, we’ll quickly move to build 15 more,” Roy added.
By December 2026, the prototype will go through speed and stability tests on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) route.
To ensure top quality and safety, BEML has hired a global agency to verify the train’s design, a separate team to handle testing, and experts to oversee welding. An independent body will also check all safety standards.
This project is part of the Indian government’s National Infrastructure Pipeline. The Ministry of Railways has also planned seven more high-speed train routes in the future.
Roy confirmed that BEML is ready to support more projects:
“We are training our current staff and increasing our capacity to handle more railway work.”
Most of the funding for the MAHSR project is coming from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is covering 81% of the cost through a very low-interest loan of just 0.1%.
