Wabtec has secured orders worth approximately $94 million (₹839 crore) from Indian Railways for multiple onboard systems for the Vande Bharat Sleeper programme, strengthening the company’s role in India’s expanding railway modernisation effort.
The American rail equipment manufacturer will supply brake systems, doors and gangway solutions for the sleeper trains. Its responsibilities will also include system delivery, integration support, testing, commissioning and long-term operational reliability support, according to the company.
The agreements are intended to help Indian Railways increase service availability, simplify maintenance and improve passenger safety as it prepares to introduce next-generation overnight inter-city services. The order was announced by Wabtec on Tuesday, with Pascal Schweitzer, President of Wabtec Transit, discussing the company’s India strategy with Business Standard.
“These orders further reinforce Wabtec’s commitment to supporting the modernisation of Indian Railways,” Schweitzer said. He added that the company’s performance reflected its technology, local manufacturing capabilities and ability to meet the requirements of large-scale rail programmes.
The Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Indian Railways’ premier manufacturing unit, is scheduled to manufacture 50 Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets. Each trainset will have 24 coaches and is designed for long-distance overnight travel, with an emphasis on passenger comfort, safety and operational performance.
The programme requires coordination between Indian Railways, ICF, system suppliers and other stakeholders across manufacturing, equipment integration, testing and operational readiness. Wabtec’s contract covers systems that are central to those processes, particularly braking, passenger access between coaches and the operation of train doors.
The order also reflects the growing role of localisation in India’s rail-equipment supply chain. Schweitzer said Wabtec had achieved an estimated 80-90 per cent localisation rate across its product portfolio. The company is developing India as a manufacturing and engineering centre that can supply domestic projects as well as export components to Europe, the United States and other markets.
Wabtec’s India strategy includes supplying technology to Indian Railways, metro operators and private operators. The company is partnering on programmes such as the Vande Bharat Sleeper project and Chennai Metro Phase 2, while also planning to compete for upcoming high-speed rail corridor projects.
Schweitzer said Wabtec would draw on its experience with high-speed networks in France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and China as it competes for future high-speed and regional rapid transit contracts. The company’s immediate order, however, is tied to the production and operational readiness of the Vande Bharat Sleeper fleet.
The next milestones will involve delivery, integration, testing and commissioning of the supplied systems alongside the manufacture of the 50 trainsets by ICF. Wabtec said it would support the programme’s long-term operational reliability and deliver the systems in line with Indian Railways’ performance and delivery requirements.
