TMC MP alleges 50% hike in Vande Bharat train cost; Rail Ministry refutes claim.
TMC MP Saket Gokhale alleged the PM Modi govt increased the cost of manufacturing Vande Bharat trains by 50% this year.
In a social media post, he claimed the training cost has risen to Rs 436 cr from Rs 290 cr, hurting the common man.
Gokhale questioned who benefits from the purported 50% hike in the Rs 58,000 cr project involving 200 trains.
In response, the Rail Ministry clarified total cost is calculated as cost per coach x number of coaches. It emphasized per coach cost is lower than industry benchmarks due to procurement transparency.
The ministry explained coach number per train was raised from 16 to 24 to meet demand, with overall coaches the same. Initially; 200 trains with 3,200 coaches were planned, now it is 133 trains with 3,192 coaches.
Despite fewer trains as per plan, the ministry said the total cost has reduced due to economies of longer trains. It asked the RS MP to refrain from spreading misinformation without valid facts.
