Indian Railways Prepares Indigenous B28 Bullet Train for High-Speed Rail Corridor

Manufacturing of India's first indigenous high-speed bullet trainset designated B28 is progressing rapidly at BEML's Aditya Plant in Bengaluru, News On AIR reported. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected prototype engineering models and propulsion systems at the production facility on Sunday. The minister stated that the initial prototype trainset is expected to roll out early next year to begin track evaluations. The trainset is engineered specifically for operations along the 508-kilometre Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor, The Indian Express reported.

Trainset Configuration, Speed Capabilities, and Passenger Capacity

The B28 high-speed train features an eight-coach configuration with a total length of approximately 202 metres, The Indian Express noted. The trainset comprises four motor cars and four trailer cars, achieving a maximum test speed of 280 kilometres per hour and an operational velocity of 249 kilometres per hour. Passenger accommodations include seven standard-class coaches arranged in a three-by-two seating configuration alongside one executive-class coach with two-by-two seating. The standard composition accommodates roughly 557 passengers, with mechanical provisions to couple two eight-coach units into a 16-coach trainset to expand passenger capacity. Both driver control cabs feature intelligent onboard computing systems engineered to facilitate rapid decisions and real-time operational coordination with central control centers, The Indian Express reported.

Two prototype trainsets are expected to be ready for trial runs in the first quarter of 2027, according to The Economic Times.

Universal Accessibility and Passenger Information Systems

Comprehensive accessibility provisions are integrated directly into the carriage design to assist passengers with reduced mobility, The Indian Express reported. Coach floors align evenly with platform heights, while retractable steps deploy automatically to close horizontal gaps during station boarding. Dedicated wheelchair spaces, specialized accessible lavatories, and tactile Braille directional signage are installed across passenger compartments. Emergency talk-back communication terminals installed throughout passenger cabins and vestibules allow travelers to connect directly with onboard staff during operational emergencies, The Indian Express noted. The passenger information system incorporates multilingual digital liquid-crystal displays in English, Hindi, and regional tongues, supplemented by wireless onboard entertainment systems.

Aerodynamic Engineering, Climate Systems, and Power Architecture

To ensure high-speed aerodynamic efficiency, the train's exterior carbody profile was developed using computational fluid dynamics simulations, The Indian Express noted. The aerodynamic contours reduce ambient wind resistance and minimize pressure variations while navigating tunnels at high operational speeds. Acoustic damping coatings, structural floor insulation, and aerodynamic bogie skirts work in tandem to suppress exterior track noise during high-speed transit, The Indian Express noted. Each passenger carriage incorporates two dedicated climate control units to maintain consistent internal temperature and humidity. Electrical traction systems operate on a 25-kilovolt alternating-current power supply supported by regenerative braking mechanisms that feed recovered electrical power back into the rail grid.