BEML’s B28 train targets 249 km/h on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route

India’s B28 high-speed train is being manufactured at BEML’s Bengaluru facility for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, with a planned operating speed of 249 km/h and a maximum test speed of 280 km/h, according to the Ministry of Railways. The eight-coach train is designed to carry an estimated 557 passengers. It is approximately 202 metres long and includes seven standard-class coaches and one executive-class coach. The ministry’s specifications include designated space for two passengers with reduced mobility. The ministry said B28 underwent a squeeze test at the Bengaluru facility. The assessment applies controlled forces to the train body to evaluate its structural strength. The reports do not provide test results, so the outcome beyond the reported test itself is not established. Railway officials are targeting trials on an approximately 100-kilometre section between Surat and Vapi in May or June 2027, according to one report. Passenger services on that section are targeted for August 2027. A separate report described an inaugural run on August 15, 2027, as tentative; neither date represents confirmation that services have begun. The train is intended for the 508-kilometre...