Indian Railways: Insulated Flexible Ducts manufacturer for Vande Bharat.

Vande Bharat Express

Project Overview

As part of its drive toward high-speed rail modernization, Indian Railways launched the Vande Bharat Express (Train 18), a new generation of semi-high-speed, energy-efficient trains designed and built entirely in India.

To ensure climate comfort and energy control inside each coach, Indian Railways required lightweight, fire-safe, and vibration-resistant insulated flexible ducts for the HVAC system. In 2022, SamcoFlex was engaged as a technical partner, not just a supplier, to design and manufacture custom-engineered ducting solutions for this critical application.

Scope of Work

• Client: Indian Railways

•  Project: Vande Bharat Express (Train 18)

• Product Supplied: SAMCO-‘O’PURE Insulated Flexible Ducts

• Application Areas: Ceiling and underframe HVAC lines in coach interiors

• Year of Engagement: 2022

•  Scope: Custom design consultation, compliance documentation, manufacturing, quality assurance

Engineering Requirements

Indian Railways specified stringent functional and regulatory requirements, including:

• Class ‘O’ Fire Safety as per BS 476 Part 6 & 7.

•  Lightweight construction for improved train efficiency and speed.

• Thermal insulation performance to handle external temperature variation.

• Vibration and fatigue resistance for long-term coach operation.

• Precise dimensional control to fit narrow ceiling and floor channels.

• Pre-fabricated modular design requiring no field-level alteration.

Challenges Faced

Weight vs. Insulation Efficiency: Railway rolling stock requires weight-optimized components. Most insulated ducts added excessive bulk or thermal compromise.

Confined Space Layouts: Routing ducts through tight ceiling and floor cavities demanded precision sizing and flexibility.

Vibration Integrity: Long-term mechanical vibrations from train motion posed risks of seal wear, air leakage, and acoustic noise if not properly engineered.

Compliance & Documentation: Products needed to be fully certified and documented for Indian Railways’ internal compliance systems including RDSO clearance and coach production audit trails.

SamcoFlex’s Technical Execution

Consultant Collaboration: SamcoFlex’s engineering team collaborated with Indian Railways’ HVAC consultants and ICF (Integral Coach Factory) teams to finalize:

• Wall thickness

• Outer jacket construction

• Insulation type

• Inner lining for minimal pressure drop

Prototyping & Testing: We developed full-scale prototypes and performed:

• Fire resistance testing (BS 476 Part 6 & 7).

• Vibration fatigue simulations.

• Airflow and thermal loss testing.

• Compression recovery testing for transport durability.

Custom Production & Quality Control: Every insulated flexible duct was:

• Manufactured to exact routing lengths and diameters.

• Laser-labeled for traceability.

• Dimensionally checked to ±2% tolerances.

• Pre-shipped after 100% QA pass.

Seamless Site Integration: Ducts were delivered installation-ready, eliminating the need for on-site cutting or sealing. SamcoFlex also shared routing guidelines to the field team, ensuring quick and error-free installation.

Measurable Results

• Class ‘O’ fire compliance achieved and certified.

• Lightweight ducts improved HVAC efficiency and reduced coach load.

• Successfully deployed across multiple Vande Bharat rakes.

• No failures or installation complaints reported post-deployment.

• Approved by Indian Railways engineering & quality division for future tenders.

Conclusion

SamcoFlex’s successful delivery of SAMCO-‘O’PURE insulated flexible ducts for Vande Bharat confirms its position as a leading insulated flexible duct manufacturer for critical mobility infrastructure.

This project showcases our ability to co-engineer with national institutions, meet high-performance and safety standards, and provide turnkey HVAC ducting systems for modern transport networks.

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If you’re working on a high-stakes infrastructure project and need custom-engineered, Class ‘O’ fire-rated insulated flexible ducts with end-to-end technical support, SamcoFlex can deliver.

Phone: 0120-4507370

Email: sales@samcoflex.com

Website: samcoflex.com