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Vande Bharat: Several countries—ranging from Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh to the USA—have shown interest in purchasing the Vande Bharat train. Consequently, Indian Railways has accelerated preparations to manufacture a standard-gauge version.

Vande Bharat: Many of us have experienced a ride on the Vande Bharat train. With its aircraft-like interiors and ability to race at high speeds, it is truly impressive. Now, people in other countries will also get to enjoy traveling on it; indeed, reports indicate that Indian Railways is planning to export the train.

Public sector engineering consultancy RITES and Indian Railways are collaborating to design a standard-gauge Vande Bharat prototype suitable for foreign tracks, as India's existing broad-gauge network differs from global standards.

What is Broad Gauge?

"Broad gauge" refers to the distance between the two rails of a track. In India, this distance is 1,676 mm (5 feet 6 inches). In contrast, most countries worldwide use a track gauge of 1,435 mm (4 feet 8.5 inches) for high-speed rail and metro networks. Major manufacturers of high-speed and semi-high-speed trains—such as China, Japan, and European nations—produce train sets exclusively for the 1,435 mm standard-gauge track.

However, the Vande Bharat trains currently operating in India are built for the broad-gauge system. To run them on international tracks, the design must first be adapted to the standard-gauge specification—a process that is currently underway.

Which countries are showing interest?

In addition to neighbors like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, countries such as Canada, Brazil, Malaysia, Argentina, and Chile have also praised the Vande Bharat train, which is built using semi-high-speed technology. Demand for it is rising because the bullet train or high-speed railway technology manufactured in China, Japan, and France is quite expensive. In comparison, the Vande Bharat is highly cost-effective; a 16-coach Vande Bharat train costs between ₹130 crore and ₹150 crore to manufacture, making it a strong contender in the international market.