Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has started supplying underslung traction transformers for the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train project, marking a significant milestone in its ‘Make in India’ initiatives for the rail sector. The project is being executed by a BHEL-led consortium with TRSL.
The first set of semi-high-speed underslung traction transformers was flagged off virtually at BHEL’s Jhansi plant by Ms. Bani Varma, Director (IS&P), and Shri S. M. Ramanathan, Director (E, R&D). Earlier, traction converters for the same project were flagged off from BHEL’s Bengaluru plant.
The transformers, designed for operational speeds up to 160 kmph and design speeds of 180 kmph, are being dispatched to Kolkata for final assembly of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains. In addition, BHEL’s Bhopal unit has developed and manufactured another key propulsion system component the traction motor.
BHEL–Jhansi has also recently received an order for Rail Borne Maintenance Vehicles (RBMVs), specialized track machines used for construction, inspection, repair, and upkeep of railway tracks. These vehicles, designed and manufactured domestically at Jhansi, support GOI initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ by enhancing indigenisation and self-reliance in railway maintenance technologies. RBMVs improve track safety, ride comfort, and asset life while reducing manual labour.
As a leading manufacturing enterprise in energy and infrastructure, BHEL delivers indigenous solutions across power, transmission, transportation, defence, and industry segments. By indigenizing complex locomotive and distributed power technologies, BHEL continues to drive India’s self-reliance in transportation and rolling stock sectors.
