States » EastPosted at: Sep 25 2026 12:07AM


Bengal: Railways sends officials to IIT-Kgp to master Vande Bharat technology

Kharagpur, Sep 24 (UNI) Indian Railways is sending its officials back to the classroom to master the increasingly complex technology powering Vande Bharat trains, with IIT Kharagpur set to train them in high-voltage electrical systems, propulsion, traction, braking and fault diagnosis under a five-year collaboration.
The initiative comes as advanced rolling stock demands specialised technical expertise to detect faults, improve maintenance and ensure safer and more reliable operations. The training will also help railway officials understand the systems closely enough to contribute to technical standards and specifications for future train sets.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between IIT Kharagpur and the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE), Jamalpur, will facilitate specialised residential programmes for officials working with Vande Bharat trains and three-phase Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMU/EMU).
“The agreement was signed on 22nd September by Prem Prakash, Dean, IRIMEE, and Prof Swagata Dasgupta, Dean of Outreach, IIT Kharagpur,” Pratik Dama, Public Relations Officer of IIT Kharagpur told The Statesman. He also said Siddharth Shankar, Professor (C&IT), IRIMEE, and Prof Vikranth Racherla, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, will serve as nodal officers.
Coordinated by IIT Kharagpur's Centre for Railway Research (CRR), the programme, according to Dama, will cover electrical safety and protection systems, Vande Bharat traction electrics, propulsion systems, converters, traction motors and Train Control and Management Systems (TCMS).
High-voltage equipment, modern rolling stock diagnostics, electrical condition monitoring, reliability engineering and regenerative and mechanical braking systems will also form part of the curriculum.
The training will combine expert lectures with laboratory experiments, hands-on exposure to electrical and electronic systems and guided field visits, linking academic expertise with actual railway operations.
"This is a historic MoU through which IIT Kharagpur faculty will train Indian Railways officials in the electrical safety, advanced propulsion, and braking systems of Vande Bharat trains," Prof Racherla said.
The officials trained under the programme, he said, would be better positioned to troubleshoot problems and contribute to improved standards and specifications for future trains.
The five-year partnership is expected to create a sustained platform for knowledge exchange between IIT Kharagpur and IRIMEE, with particular emphasis on safety, reliability, maintenance and the indigenisation of advanced rolling stock technologies.
UNI BG NST CDS
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