Western Railway’s (WR) Ahmedabad Division is developing the facility as Phase II of the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot (ICD). The expansion is designed to bring heavy repairs, wheel servicing, and the overhauling of key electrical and mechanical equipment under one roof.
The new facility will handle scheduled SS-I and SS-II shop maintenance for 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets. According to the project plan, SS-I maintenance will take around 30 days per trainset, with the capacity to service approximately 12 trainsets annually. SS-II maintenance will require around 45 days per trainset, with an annual capacity of approximately eight trainsets.
These figures represent the planned capacity for the respective maintenance schedules and should not be interpreted as a combined annual throughput.
A major component of the project is the Heavy Repair Bay Shed, which measures 322 metres by 25 metres and covers approximately 86,597 square feet. The structure will accommodate two maintenance lines designed for different categories of work.
One line will be equipped with synchronised pit jacks to lift coaches and enable the removal of bogies. The second line will be used for repairs and servicing of coach interiors, passenger amenities, braking equipment and electrical systems. This arrangement is intended to support maintenance activities requiring access to both the train’s underframe and its onboard systems.
The project also includes dedicated section sheds measuring 322 metres by 20 metres, with a reported area of around 69,334 square feet. These facilities will support the dismantling, assembly and overhauling of major train components.
The equipment scheduled for maintenance includes traction transformers, traction converters, traction motors, auxiliary converters, isolation transformers, pantographs and roof-mounted packaged air-conditioning units (RMPUs). The specialised workspaces are intended to enable maintenance teams to service these components within the Sabarmati depot rather than rely on facilities at other locations for work covered by the new setup.
Track infrastructure and supporting facilities have also progressed as part of the expansion. Rail linking across four stabling lines, covering approximately 2,547 metres, has been completed. The Ahmedabad Division has also reported that work on both maintenance lines inside the Heavy Repair Bay Shed is nearing completion.
The Electrical Substation (ESS) building, measuring 30 metres by 20 metres and covering around 6,458 square feet, has been completed and handed over.
However, no overall commissioning date for the maintenance hub has been specified in the available information. The facility’s operational capacity will depend on the completion of the remaining work, the installation and commissioning of equipment, and the commencement of maintenance operations.
Once operational, the Sabarmati project is intended to strengthen Western Railway’s ability to undertake scheduled heavy maintenance of longer, 24-coach Vande Bharat trainsets. By bringing major repair work and servicing of critical electrical and mechanical components within the depot, the facility is designed to reduce dependence on other locations for maintenance activities covered by the new infrastructure.
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