First shipment of Vande Bharat Train wheels from war-torn Ukraine to reach Chennai on May 12

Representative Image: Vande Bharat Express, India's first semi-high speed train

As many as 128 wheels meant for the new Vande Bharat Train, which were held up in war-hit Ukraine until now, will be shipped to India in three separate batches. More than 40 wheels are scheduled to arrive in Chennai on May 12, sources said.

The wheels will be used in the first set of prototype Vande Bharat Trains, thus enabling their trial run from July this year.

An order had been placed for 36,000 wheels by India with a company based in Ukraine which halted its production when its manpower had to participate in the war. But, despite this, about 128 wheels were transported to Romania by road and will now be airlifted from there.

According to sources, over 40 wheels are scheduled to reach  Chennai on May 12, whereas the rest are said to arrive in upwards of two batches. Necessary steps are being taken to ensure that the shipment arrives on time. Seventy-five such trains are expected to be operational by August 2023.

To meet the requirements, India has also placed orders for wheels with the Czech Republic, Poland, and the United States. The government is also pushing the process forward by increasing the production of axles required for these wheels. The axles are being manufactured at the rail wheel factory in Bengaluru. The government is also considering the import of wheels from China, the sources added.