India’s first high-speed train's 'Made-in-India' coaches will undergo testing at the country's first climatic laboratory, which will be set up at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The testing is scheduled for 2026, ahead of the train’s debut on the Gujarat section of the high-speed corridor, where it will run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

According to CNN-News18, Rs 173 crore will be allocated for this exercise. The high-speed train coaches, which are expected to operate at speeds of 250-280 km/h, will undergo intense testing in a climatic laboratory. BEML has been given the contract for the design, manufacture, supply, testing, and commissioning of the high-speed train, which will be built at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. BEML aims to have the climatic chamber laboratory set up at ICF before January 31, 2026.

State-owned BEML is given the responsibility of manufacturing and delivering two high-speed train sets, achieving the target of self-reliant India.The total value of the contract is Rs 867 crore, with each coach priced at Rs 27.86 crore. India is developing its own high-speed rail coaches for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor due to the high cost of Japanese coaches. BEML is expected to deliver the two train sets by the end of 2026 for the inaugural run in the Gujarat section.

The SBB Unternehmens website reveals that a global company with expertise in climatic chambers will test the train coaches by exposing them to various weather conditions, such as cold, snow, ice, and heat. This will help us understand how the train components perform in extreme environments. The new climatic laboratory at ICF will also evaluate how much energy the train uses, as well as the effectiveness of its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.

France has such a climatic lab at the Centre d’Essais Ferroviaires in Valenciennes, where temperatures can range from -45°C to 70°C, and humidity from 5% to 95%. The chamber is 45 meters long, 6 meters wide, and 6.5 meters high. These tests make sure the designs meet regulations and quality standards. Since India’s high-speed train will run at speeds never seen before, testing in a climatic lab is essential.