Sabarmati Gets Rs 307-Crore Vande Bharat Maintenance Hub

The facility will handle scheduled soft schedule (SS-I and SS-II) maintenance of 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets. As per the planned capacity, SS-I maintenance of a 24-coach rake can be completed in around 30 days, while SS-II maintenance is expected to take about 45 days. Annually, the depot is designed to undertake SS-I maintenance of about 12 rakes or SS-II maintenance of eight rakes.

Heavy Repair Bay Nears Completion

The heavy repair bay shed, measuring 322 metres by 25 metres and covering 86,597 square feet, is almost complete. It will have two maintenance lines. One will be equipped with synchronised pit jacks to lift coaches and remove bogies, while the other will be used to maintain coach interiors, passenger amenities, braking systems and electrical equipment.

Section Sheds for Critical Equipment

The section sheds, measuring 322 metres by 20 metres and covering 69,334 square feet, are being developed for dismantling, assembling and overhauling major mechanical and electrical equipment. These include traction transformers, traction converters, traction motors, auxiliary converters, isolation transformers, pantographs and roof-mounted package units.

Wheel Care Shed Ready for Handover

Construction of the wheel care shed, measuring 75 metres by 40 metres and covering 32,292 square feet, has been completed. The shed and its service building are ready for handover. It will house a CNC surface wheel lathe, a CNC axle turning lathe, a dynamic wheel balancing machine and a hydraulic wheel press, among other equipment, for wheel and axle overhauling, resurfacing and turning.

The 30-metre-by-20-metre electrical sub-station building, covering 6,458 square feet, has also been completed and handed over. On the track side, rail linking has been completed across about 2,547 metres of four stabling lines, and work on both maintenance lines in the heavy repair bay shed is nearly complete.

The project also includes a tandem wheel lathe shed, a drop pit, retractable overhead equipment (OHE), machinery and plant, and other associated facilities.

Why It Matters

Vande Bharat trains rely on advanced electrical and traction systems that need specialised care. Without nearby facilities, rakes must travel long distances for major maintenance, keeping them out of service for longer. A dedicated depot at Sabarmati means faster turnaround, better availability of trainsets and potentially more reliable services for passengers in Gujarat and the wider western region.

What Comes Next

Once operational, the integrated facility is expected to strengthen the Ahmedabad Division's ability to carry out scheduled maintenance of modern trainsets within a single complex, with dedicated infrastructure for coach repairs, electrical equipment and wheel maintenance.