Western Railway is developing a Rs 307-crore maintenance hub at Sabarmati as part of Phase II of the Integrated Coaching Depot, designed to handle scheduled soft schedule (SS-I and SS-II) maintenance of 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets.
The depot will cut the need to send trains elsewhere for major repairs, strengthening the Ahmedabad division’s capacity to service India’s expanding semi-high-speed fleet.
The wheel care shed has been completed and is ready for handover, while the 86,597-square-foot heavy repair bay shed is almost finished.
The heavy repair bay shed measures 322 metres by 25 metres and is nearing its final stages of completion, featuring two specialised maintenance lines equipped with synchronised pit jacks for lifting entire coaches and facilities dedicated to maintaining passenger amenities, coach interiors, electrical systems and braking components.
SS-I maintenance of a 24-coach rake can be completed in around 30 days, while SS-II maintenance is expected to take approximately 45 days.
The project includes a heavy repair bay shed, section sheds, a wheel care shed, a tandem wheel lathe shed, a drop pit, retractable overhead equipment, machinery and plant, and other associated facilities.
Track work has been completed on four stabling lines, which will provide space to accommodate trainsets when they are not in operation.
The Integral Coach Factory in Chennai has been assigned the task of manufacturing 50 Vande Bharat Sleeper trains with 24 coaches each, with the rollout targeted for the first half of 2027.
The Sabarmati facility will play a crucial role in maintaining these advanced trainsets, handling major maintenance including wheel care, heavy repairs and electrical component servicing.
