NEW DELHI, AUG 26 (PTI): Manufacturing activities are progressing at the upgraded Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur with the first Vande Bharat sleeper prototype expected to roll out during the current financial year, a top Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) official has said.
Saleem Ahmad, RVNL chairman and MD, shared this information at the company’s 23rd annual general meeting on Tuesday, according to the statement released here.
The public sector enterprise and Russian company Transmashholding (TMH) collaborated to form Kinet Railway Solutions Ltd, an Indo-Russian joint venture, to manufacture 120 Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets, each having 16 coaches, from its Marathwada factory in Maharashtra.
The company had earlier set a deadline of June 2026 to come out with the first prototype, however, it has now extended the deadline till March 31 next year.
Besides the plan for Vande Bharat sleeper, Ahmad highlighted the company’s strategic transition, marked by a rebalancing of its order book, entry into rolling stock manufacturing, execution of national-scale telecommunications infrastructure and expansion into projects secured through competitive bidding.
“Over the years, RVNL has built strong capabilities in complex rail infrastructure with a presence across 16 states and an expanding international footprint,” Ahmad said.
Thursday, August 27, 2026