A ₹307-crore Ahmedabad Vande Bharat maintenance hub is being developed at Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot, allowing Western Railway to carry out major repairs on 24-coach trainsets within Gujarat instead of depending on facilities in other cities or states.
The project is being developed by the Ahmedabad division of Western Railway as part of Phase 2 of the Sabarmati depot expansion. Once operational, the facility will support scheduled Soft Schedule-1 and Soft Schedule-2 maintenance for 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets.
According to the project plan, Soft Schedule-1 maintenance for one 24-coach trainset will take about 30 days, while Soft Schedule-2 maintenance will take approximately 45 days. Based on this capacity, the hub is expected to handle around 12 trainsets annually under Soft Schedule-1 or eight trainsets under Soft Schedule-2.
The maintenance complex is being equipped with a heavy repair shed, wheel care shed, section sheds, a tandem wheel lathe shed, a drop pit and retractable overhead equipment. Some of the principal structures have been completed, while other work remains in progress.
The wheel care shed, measuring 75 metres by 40 metres, has been completed. It will support the overhauling, resurfacing and turning of wheels and axles. The planned equipment includes a CNC surface wheel lathe, CNC axle turning lathe, dynamic wheel balancing machine and hydraulic wheel press.
The heavy repair shed is nearly complete. Measuring 322 metres by 25 metres, it will contain two maintenance lines. One line will use synchronised pit jacks to lift coaches and remove their bogies. The second line will be used for work on coach interiors, passenger facilities, braking systems and electrical equipment.
A 322-metre by 20-metre section shed is also being developed for the removal, repair and reassembly of key technical equipment. These components include traction transformers, traction converters, traction motors, auxiliary converters, pantographs and roof-mounted package units.
The project also includes supporting rail and electrical infrastructure. Work on four stabling lines, with a combined rail linking length of 2,547 metres, has been completed. Construction of a 30-metre by 20-metre electrical substation building has also been completed.
For the railway system, the facility is intended to increase local maintenance capacity and organise major servicing closer to the trains’ operating base. It will also reduce the need to send 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets to other locations for scheduled heavy maintenance. The project’s next operational milestone will be the completion of the remaining construction, equipment installation and commissioning work at the Sabarmati hub.
