BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited), the Bengaluru-based state-owned defence PSU, will manufacture India’s first bullet train at its existing facility that also produces Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets.
India's 1st bullet train production to start at BEML’s Bengaluru plant
As reported by the Financial Express, BEML will start manufacturing the prototype in September 2025.
By December 2026, the first bullet train prototype is expected to be rolled out for oscillation trials and speed testing on the actual Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.
Shantanu Roy, the chairman and managing director of BEML, said that the design work is underway.
“The work is at the design stage right now. The critical design part should be over in a couple of months, and we will start the manufacturing activity by September,” he said to Financial Express.
Last October, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) assigned BEML to develop two high-speed trainsets entirely within India.
Each of the trainsets will feature eight coaches, built to reach speeds of up to 280 kmph, though speed trials will be conducted at 280 kmph.
Reportedly, the total cost of the project stands at Rs 866.87 crore, translating to about Rs 27.86 crore per coach—substantially cheaper than the latest Shinkansen coaches, which range between Rs 46–48 crore each.
The Bengaluru-based defence public sector undertaking claims its high-speed trains are more cost-efficient than those of competitors.
They have used domestically sourced products and components, including the stainless steel used in manufacturing.
Shantanu Roy disclosed that BEML is readying the first coach of the train by the end of FY26, after which it will undergo extensive testing to ensure quality and performance.
“Once this coach is approved, there will be a bulk production of 15 more cars which won’t take much time,” Roy added.
BEML has onboarded a global design verification agency and a separate validation agency for testing.
Experts would supervise welding and ensure adherence to safety protocols through an independent assessor.
As part of India’s National Infrastructure Pipeline, the Ministry of Railways has identified seven additional high-speed corridors.
Roy said, “We are training our existing manpower, and ramping up the capacity to take on more rail projects.”
The MAHSR project, notably, is being largely financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is funding 81 per cent of the costs through an ultra-low interest loan at 0.1 per cent.
Incidentally, Japan is gifting two Shinkansen train sets, one each from the E5 and E3 series, for inspection and trial purposes.
The Shinkansen trains are designed to run at a top speed of 320 km/h and will be used to test performance on Indian terrain and climate conditions once delivered in early 2026.
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