Overview
- BHEL confirmed via an exchange filing that it has started supplying traction converters for the Vande Bharat sleeper program, marking its entry into semi-high-speed propulsion.
- The inaugural batch was flagged off on January 8 at BHEL’s Bengaluru plant by Director Bani Verma, with senior BHEL and TRSL officials joining virtually.
- The converters use an underslung, IGBT-based design engineered for 160 km/h operation and 176 km/h design speed to free interior space and increase payload capacity.
- Additional propulsion components, including traction motors and transformers, were developed and manufactured at BHEL’s Bhopal and Jhansi units.
- Media reports indicate the first Vande Bharat sleeper is expected to be inaugurated later this month on the Kolkata–Guwahati route, and the news drew investor attention to BHEL shares.