Wabtec bags ₹839-crore order for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, eyes ₹5,000 crore revenue by 2029-30

HosurWabtec Corporation, the US-based rail technology and services company, has secured a $94 million (₹839 crore) order from Indian Railways for multiple transit solutions to support the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train program, being manufactured by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.

Wabtec will supply critical onboard systems, including brake systems, doors and gangway solutions. The order includes system delivery, integration support, testing, commissioning, and long-term operational reliability support.

ICF will manufacture 50 Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets (each with 24 coaches) for long-distance overnight travel, a statement said. Pascal Schweitzer, President, Wabtec Transit, said ICF was manufacturing 50 trains, each comprising 24 cars, under the programme.

Wabtec emerged as the lowest bidder for the relevant packages and secured a majority share in the three product categories. The company is participating in additional tenders, and the results are awaited, he told newspersons at the company’s plant in Hosur on Tuesday.

Ajay Mani, Managing Director, India, Wabtec Corporation, said the company plans to end the year 2026 with revenue of ₹3,200 crore, up from ₹3,000 crore in 2025. Nearly 95 per cent of the revenue comes from Indian Railways, including supplies to its major vendors like Alstom and Siemens.

“We are targetting revenue of around ₹5,000 crore by 2029-30 as we plan to capitalise on Indian Railways’ modernisation programme and the expansion of metro networks,” he added. Currently, the Indian market accounts for nearly 95 per cent, and exports about 5 per cent.

However, exports may rise to 12-13 per cent by 2030, when overall revenue grows to around ₹5,000 crore, he said. “There will be more rolling stock and a lot of upgrades of existing rolling stock. We should be ready for that growth,” he said.

In the last five years, the company has invested around ₹350 crore, he added without giving numbers on the future investment. Wabtec’s Indian operations currently comprise six factories and two engineering centres, with manufacturing facilities in Hosur, Chennai and Rohtak, among other locations.

The company has expanded its footprint around Hosur and inherited two plants in India through its global acquisition of Dellner, which specialises in train connection systems. Mani said the company’s strategy was to design products for Indian requirements, manufacture them locally and provide after-sales service within the country.

Its Indian operations have around 80–85 per cent local content and work with more than 450 suppliers. Wabtec has supplied braking systems, doors and other equipment for about 3,500 coaches and has around 20,000 product installations in India, Mani said.

A key focus is developing products tailored to Indian Railways and metro operators. Wabtec has supplied more than 8,000 high-reach pantographs designed specifically for Indian electrification requirements, Mani said, adding that the company supplies five out of every six such pantographs used in the country.

(The writer was in Hosur at the company’invitation).