BHEL ties up with SwissRapide AG to bring Maglev trains to India

On September 16, 2020 Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SwissRapide AG to Maglev Train (Magnetic Levitation) Projects in India.

The MoU was signed by S V Srinivasan, General Manager & Head (Transportation Business Group), BHEL and Niklaus H Koenig, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SwissRapide AG.

Key Points:

i.The agreement has been signed in the backdrop of Government of India’s initiatives of ‘Make in India’ & ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. 

ii.The MoU will enable the Indigenous manufacturing of the State-of-the-art Maglev Trains.

iii.The MoU will set the foundation for cooperation and exploration of mutually beneficial business opportunities. 

iv.The MoU aims to utilise the capabilities, skills, knowledge and assets of both companies for the development of Maglev Train Projects in India. 

v.SwissRapide AG is a swiss company, which is the only established and commercially proven ultra-high-speed Maglev Rail System in the world. 

Magnetic Levitation Train:

i.The Maglev system drifts in the air instead of rolling due to magnetic levitation. The vehicle will have no physical contact with the guideway. 

ii.The Advantages of Magnetic Levitation Trains systems are Energy Efficient (25% less energy consumption), high speeds, Environment Friendly (50% less noise emissions), cost efficient and elevated guideway (means requires less land to operate).

iii.It is considered the most advanced innovation in railway technology in the last 50 years.

BHEL’s Projects:

i.BHEL has been a reliable partner in the growth of Indian Railways by supplying electric, diesel locomotives, EMU (Electrical Multiple Unit), propulsion system sets and drives.

ii.Kolkata Metro, which is the first metro in India is equipped with a BHEL made propulsion system. 

iii.The first ever air-conditioned AC-EMUs operational in Mumbai suburban trains are equipped with BHEL-made propulsion and related electrics.

Recent Related News:

i.On July 6, 2020 For the 1st time in the world, Indian Railways directly supplied power to the Overhead Traction System of trains. To achieve this, Indian Railways set up 1.7 MWp (megawatt power) at Bina (Madhya Pradesh) to be connected directly to the Overhead Traction System.

ii.On July 17, 2020, Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav announced the connectivity of all capitals of North-Eastern (NE) states through rail network by 2023. 

About Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL):
Chairman, Managing Director (MD) – Nalin Shinghal
Headquarters – New Delhi