Sabarmati to get ₹307-crore Vande Bharat maintenance hub; heavy repair shed near ready
Synopsis
Western Railway's ₹307-crore Vande Bharat maintenance hub at Sabarmati is one of India's most purpose-built rail servicing facilities — designed to overhaul up to 12 full rakes a year, with CNC wheel lathes, synchronised pit jacks, and traction transformer servicing, all within a single complex. With the wheel care shed complete and the heavy repair bay nearly ready, the Ahmedabad division is close to ending its dependence on distant depots for modern trainset upkeep.
Key Takeaways
Western Railway is building a ₹307-crore Vande Bharat maintenance hub at Sabarmati , Ahmedabad .
The wheel care shed ( 75m × 40m ) is complete and ready for handover; the heavy repair bay shed ( 322m × 25m ) is nearly complete.
The depot can handle SS-I maintenance of 12 rakes or SS-II maintenance of 8 rakes per year.
SS-I maintenance of a 24-coach Vande Bharat rake takes approximately 30 days ; SS-II takes around 45 days .
Rail linking is complete across approximately 2,547 metres of four stabling lines; the electrical sub-station has been handed over.
Once operational, the hub will allow the Ahmedabad Division to service Vande Bharat trainsets entirely in-house, eliminating the need for external transfers.
Western Railway is developing a ₹307-crore specialised maintenance hub at Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, dedicated to the scheduled upkeep of Vande Bharat trainsets, with the heavy repair bay shed nearing completion and the wheel care shed already built and ready for handover. The project forms Phase II of the Integrated Coaching Depot (ICD) at Sabarmati, undertaken by the Ahmedabad Division of Western Railway.
What the Facility Is Built to Do
The hub is designed to handle Soft Schedule I (SS-I) and Soft Schedule II (SS-II) maintenance of 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets entirely within a single complex, eliminating the need to dispatch rakes to distant locations for major servicing. According to project specifications, SS-I maintenance of a full 24-coach rake is expected to be completed in approximately 30 days, while SS-II maintenance is expected to take around 45 days. The depot is planned to handle SS-I maintenance of up to 12 rakes or SS-II maintenance of up to eight rakes per year.
Key Structures and Their Status
The heavy repair bay shed — measuring 322 metres by 25 metres and covering 86,597 square feet — is almost complete. It will operate two maintenance lines: one fitted with synchronised pit jacks to lift coaches and remove bogies, and a second dedicated to coach interiors, passenger amenities, braking systems, and electrical equipment.
The section sheds, spanning 322 metres by 20 metres across 69,334 square feet, are being developed for the dismantling, assembly, and overhauling of major mechanical and electrical components. Equipment to be serviced will include traction transformers, traction converters, traction motors, auxiliary converters, isolation transformers, pantographs, and roof-mounted package units.
The wheel care shed, measuring 75 metres by 40 metres and covering 32,292 square feet, has been completed and is ready for handover. It will handle wheel and axle overhauling, resurfacing, and turning, using a CNC surface wheel lathe, a CNC axle turning lathe, a dynamic wheel balancing machine, and a hydraulic wheel press.
Track Infrastructure and Electrical Work
Rail linking has been completed across approximately 2,547 metres of four stabling lines, and work on both maintenance lines within the heavy repair bay shed is nearly done. The 30-metre-by-20-metre electrical sub-station building, covering 6,458 square feet, has been completed and handed over to support the depot's power requirements.
Why This Hub Matters for Vande Bharat Operations
The Vande Bharat fleet has expanded rapidly across Indian Railways, and dedicated maintenance infrastructure has emerged as a critical operational priority. This comes amid growing pressure on railway divisions to reduce turnaround times and cut dependence on centralised maintenance facilities. Once operational, the Sabarmati hub is expected to significantly strengthen the Ahmedabad division's capacity to sustain modern trainset performance without logistical delays. The integrated design — combining coach repair, electrical servicing, and wheel maintenance under one roof — reflects a broader Indian Railways push to build distributed, high-capacity depots aligned with the Vande Bharat rollout scale.
Point of View
Creating bottlenecks that affect punctuality and serviceability. A self-contained facility that can handle everything from bogie removal to CNC wheel turning addresses a real operational gap. The test, however, will be whether commissioning timelines hold — Indian Railways has a long record of civil works completing on paper while equipment installation and staffing lag by months or years.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ₹307-crore Sabarmati maintenance hub for Vande Bharat trains?
It is a dedicated rail maintenance facility being developed by the Ahmedabad Division of Western Railway at Sabarmati as Phase II of the Integrated Coaching Depot (ICD). The hub is designed to handle full scheduled maintenance — both SS-I and SS-II — of 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets within a single complex, removing the need to send rakes to other locations for major servicing.
How many Vande Bharat rakes can the Sabarmati depot service each year?
The depot is planned to handle SS-I maintenance of up to 12 rakes or SS-II maintenance of up to 8 rakes annually. SS-I maintenance of a 24-coach rake takes approximately 30 days, while SS-II maintenance takes around 45 days.
Which structures at the Sabarmati depot are already complete?
The wheel care shed (75m × 40m, 32,292 sq ft) has been completed and is ready for handover. The electrical sub-station building has also been completed and handed over. The heavy repair bay shed (322m × 25m, 86,597 sq ft) is nearing completion.
What equipment will the wheel care shed at Sabarmati use?
The wheel care shed will be equipped with a CNC surface wheel lathe, a CNC axle turning lathe, a dynamic wheel balancing machine, and a hydraulic wheel press, among other tools. It is designed for wheel and axle overhauling, resurfacing, and turning.
Why is a dedicated Vande Bharat maintenance hub significant for Indian Railways?
As the Vande Bharat fleet expands rapidly, divisions have faced growing pressure to service modern trainsets without relying on distant, centralised facilities. A dedicated hub at Sabarmati allows the Ahmedabad Division to manage coach repairs, electrical component servicing, and wheel maintenance in one integrated complex, reducing turnaround times and improving operational efficiency.
