Operational staff of Vande Bharat trains will soon undergo specialised advanced training at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, following a landmark five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the institute and the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE), Jamalpur. The agreement aims to build deep technical capacity in advanced rolling stock technologies across Indian Railways (IR).

What the MoU Covers

The tie-up is coordinated through IIT Kharagpur's Centre for Railway Research (CRR) and will deliver specialised residential training for IR officials working on semi-high-speed train systems. Modules are designed to cover a broad technical spectrum, including advanced traction and propulsion systems, electrical safety, Train Control and Management Systems (TCMS), rolling stock diagnostics, condition monitoring, reliability engineering, and regenerative braking.

The training programme will combine classroom instruction, laboratory experiments, hands-on exposure, and field visits. The initiative, according to the institute, is aimed at contributing to safer, smarter, more reliable, and increasingly indigenous railway technologies.

Who Signed and Who Leads

The MoU was signed by Prof Swagata Dasgupta, Dean of Outreach, IIT Kharagpur, and Prem Prakash, Dean, IRIMEE. Prof Vikranth Racherla of IIT Kharagpur and Siddharth Shankar of IRIMEE have been designated as nodal officers for the programme.

Scale of the Vande Bharat Network

Indian Railways currently operates 79 Vande Bharat trains across various routes, with plans to expand the fleet further. The railways also run a Vande Bharat sleeper train between Howrah and Kamakhya in Assam. Looking ahead, IR has plans to acquire 260 Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets, of which 60 are already under construction. A prototype Vande Bharat freight train is separately undergoing trials.

Why Advanced Training Is Critical

Unlike conventional rakes that rely on separate locomotives, Vande Bharat trainsets are composed of multiple carriages each fitted with electric traction motors. Each powered carriage can drive itself and two unpowered coaches, resulting in a technically complex distributed-traction setup. High-end control technology underpins the entire system, making it fundamentally different from older rolling stock that IR staff have historically operated.

Officials noted that on-board staff — particularly for sleeper trains operating on longer routes — must be equipped to both identify faults in advanced systems and rectify them swiftly. As more sleeper trainsets enter service, demand for such technically trained personnel will rise sharply.

Broader Significance

This collaboration marks a notable step in institutionalising railway skill development through premier academic institutions. It comes at a time when IR is simultaneously scaling up its semi-high-speed fleet, developing freight variants, and pushing for greater indigenisation. The five-year tenure of the MoU suggests a sustained, structured approach rather than a one-off training intervention, signalling long-term commitment from both sides.