BHEL begins supply of Vande Bharat traction converters

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has achieved a major milestone in its ‘Make in India’ initiatives for the rail transportation sector by commencing supply of underslung traction converters for the prestigious Vande Bharat Sleeper Train project being executed by BHEL-led consortium with TRSL.

To this effect, a flag-off ceremony was held today at BHEL’s Bengaluru plant. Ms Bani Varma, Director (IS&P), BHEL, in the presence of other senior officials, flagged off the first set of semi-high-speed underslung traction converters, specifically designed for the Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains. Shri SM Ramanathan, Director (E, R&D), BHEL, and Shri Umesh Chowdhary, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, TRSL, attended the ceremony virtually.

Significantly, this marks BHEL’s strategic entry into the semi-high-speed propulsion segment. The traction converters are being despatched to Kolkata for final assembly of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains. In addition, other major propulsion equipment such as traction motors and transformers for these trains have been developed and manufactured by its Bhopal and Jhansi units.

Equipped with state-of-the-art IGBT-based traction converters, the underslung design places the propulsion equipment beneath the train car, freeing up significant onboard space for passenger amenities and increasing the overall payload capacity of the train. Key highlights of the propulsion system include operational speed of up to 160 kmph with design speed of 176 kmph, and high-efficiency power conversion utilising advanced thermal management to ensure reliability during long-distance overnight journeys.