Press Release
*IIT Kharagpur and IRIMEE Join Hands to Advance Training on Vande Bharat and Modern Railway Systems*
Kharagpur, 24th September 2026: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur has recently signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE), Jamalpur, establishing a five-year academic and training collaboration aimed at strengthening the technical capabilities of Indian Railways officials in advanced rolling stock technologies.
The collaboration will facilitate specialised residential training programmes for Indian Railways officials, with a key focus on electrical safety and traction systems in advanced rolling stock, including Vande Bharat trains and three-phase Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMU/EMU).
The MoU was signed by Mr. Prem Prakash, Dean, IRIMEE, and Prof. Swagata Dasgupta, Dean of Outreach, IIT Kharagpur. Mr. Siddharth Shankar, Professor (C&IT), IRIMEE, and Prof. Vikranth Racherla, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, will serve as the nodal officers for the collaboration.
Coordinated by the Centre for Railway Research (CRR), IIT Kharagpur, the initiative seeks to bridge advanced academic expertise with the operational and technological requirements of Indian Railways. The programmes are designed to strengthen understanding of modern train systems, enhance safety and reliability, support efficient maintenance and troubleshooting, and contribute towards the continued indigenisation of advanced rolling stock technologies.
The specialised curriculum will cover electrical safety and protection systems; traction electrics of Vande Bharat trains; propulsion systems, converters, traction motors and Train Control and Management Systems (TCMS); three-phase MEMU traction equipment; high-voltage equipment and modern rolling stock diagnostics; electrical condition monitoring and reliability engineering; and regenerative and mechanical braking systems.
Moving beyond conventional classroom instruction, the training will combine expert lectures, laboratory experiments, hands-on exposure to electrical and electronic systems, and guided field visits, enabling participating officials to connect theoretical understanding with real-world railway operations.
Highlighting the significance of the collaboration, *Prof. Vikranth Racherla, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Chairperson, CoEAT, IIT Kharagpur, said:* “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. Officials who receive the training will be better positioned to troubleshoot problems that may arise in these trains and improve standards and specifications for future train sets. Through a better understanding of these trains’ internal systems, IIT Kharagpur can assist Indian Railways in strengthening the reliability, safety and indigenous technological capabilities of advanced rolling stock.”
The partnership brings together IIT Kharagpur’s multidisciplinary research and technological expertise and IRIMEE’s longstanding role in developing technical leadership for Indian Railways. Over the next five years, the collaboration is expected to create a sustained platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building in areas critical to the rapidly evolving railway ecosystem.
Through this initiative, IIT Kharagpur continues to strengthen its engagement with Indian Railways and contribute its academic and research capabilities towards the development of safer, smarter, more reliable and increasingly indigenous railway technologies for India.
