Goan firm bags contract to design interiors for 100 Vande Bharat sleeper trains

Panaji: The future of the Vande Bharat sleeper train programme is quietly taking shape at the Pilerne-based Kineco Group. The firm has bagged a multi-year contract to supply the interiors for the train’s sleeper cubicles, including doors and vacuum toilet systems.The contract takes the company’s consolidated order book to more than Rs 3,000 crore. Kineco Global Rail will supply the key parts to private coach builders that are manufacturing coaches for the semi-high-speed sleeper trains.Kineco Global Rail is also building the nose fronts, passenger vestibules, interior panels and other composite bits for Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains.“The long-term, multi-contract nature of these wins provides strong revenue visibility and underpins Kineco’s investment in manufacturing capacity, engineering talent, and supply chain deepening,” said Vivek Srivastava, group CEO and executive director, Kineco Group.He described the Vande Bharat sleeper programme as one of the most consequential rail infrastructure projects in India’s railway roadmap.Kineco’s growth in rail interiors is underpinned by the strategic acquisitions of Semvac A/S (Denmark) and TRB Lightweight Structures (UK) under the Kineco Global Rail subsidiary. The Pilerne-based firm is now leveraging European-grade engineering and technologies to provide sanitation systems, lightweight composite structures and full-module interiors to the Indian Railways.As of Dec, 164 Vande Bharat train services ply across the Indian Railways network, but they comprise all AC chair cars. In Jan, the railways ministry announced that the first Vande Bharat sleeper train would operate between Guwahati in Assam and Howrah in West Bengal.The Vande Bharat sleeper trains will comprise 16 modern coaches with a total capacity of 823 passengers and be capable of operating at 180kmph.