Indian Railways Partners With Jindal Stainless For Vande Metro Trains

Leading stainless steel manufacturer Jindal Stainless has supplied high strength stainless steel for the Vande Metro train expected to operate from July, the company said on Tuesday. The Railways had recently rolled out the Vande Metro train from the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.

The '201LN' stainless steel supplied by Jindal Stainless, makes coaches lighter and energy efficient, Jindal Stainless claimed in a statement, here, today.

Vande Metro Trains are shorter distance versions of the 'Vande Bharat' express trains. Vande Metro Trains aim to serve passengers traveling distances of up to 250 kms.

Vande Metro Trains are expected to connect more than 120 cities and likely to be launched in July.

Some of the preliminary routes planned are Bhubaneswar-Balasore, Agra-Mathura, Chennai-Tirupati, Delhi-Rewari, and Lucknow-Kanpur, the company statement said.

Jindal Stainless said compared to the conventional 'ferritic stainless steel' grade, the thickness of the external panel on the trains have been reduced from 3 mm to 2 mm thereby resulting in lighter, more energy efficient and cost-effective trains.

"The stainless steel '201LN' is extremely corrosion resistant, has higher and superior durability and exhibits better crash-resistant properties thereby providing best-in class safety to passengers", the statement said.

Commenting on the development, Jindal Stainless Managing Director Abhyuday Jindal said, "it's a privilege to play an instrumental role in Indian Railway's decision to migrate from the ferritic grade to 201LN stainless steel for the first time ever. The lightweight and energy efficient car body will reduce the carbon footprint of the Indian Railways and act as a catalyst to achieve its net zero target." "I am confident that Vande Metro Trains will provide a world-class experience to passengers and we are happy to partner with the Indian Railways on this", he said.