Remember when railway updates were about train timings and not billion-rupee order books? RVNL just reminded the Street that India’s rail push is part engineering, part spreadsheet gymnastics. Q1 FY26 wasn’t full steam ahead — revenue dipped 3.42% — but management insists it’s just a platform change before acceleration. The order book? A chunky ₹1,01,000 crore buffet, from metros to Vande Bharat. Margins took a hit, courtesy of one-time BharatNet expenses and “onerous contracts” (corporate for “we’ll fix it later”).
Why it matters? Because RVNL’s growth story is now as much about bidding outside Indian Railways as it is about electrification and overseas solar farms.
Stick around—things get spicier two scrolls down.
AT A GLANCE
• Order book at ₹1,01,000 crore – enough work to keep multiple lifetimes busy• Revenue down 3.42% – but bidding revenue tripled, says CFO• Margins dented – BharatNet pre-bid spend ₹20 crore + ₹40 crore on tough contracts• International bids worth ₹30k–35k crore planned this year – aiming for 15–20% strike rate• Vande Bharat prototype in June 2026 – sleeper coaches this time
MANAGEMENT’S KEY COMMENTARY
Pradeep Gaur, CMD:“Railway revenue is down, but bidding revenue is up three times.”Translation:We’ve swapped safe railway gigs for competitive tenders — higher risk, higher drama.
M.P. Singh, Director Ops:“Order book is ₹1,01,000 crore across civil, electrical, signalling, and metro.”Translation:If orders were calories, we’d be morbidly obese.
Chandan Kumar Verma, CFO:“₹60 crore one-off hit from BharatNet and onerous contracts.”Translation:We tripped on the starting line but promise to run faster later.
Pradeep Gaur:“Revenue will exceed last year’s by Q2.”Translation:The train’s just leaving the station; don’t judge the journey yet.
M.P. Singh:“Vande Bharat first prototype June 2026; trials 60 days; FY27 revenue from 6–8 trains.”Translation:Hold your applause until sleeper berths actually roll out.
Pradeep Gaur:“International focus – bidding ₹30k–35k crore overseas
this year.”Translation:India is great, but foreign currency smells better.
M.P. Singh:“MoUs in nuclear, solar, rolling stock maintenance.”Translation:If it moves or generates power, we’re signing an MoU for it.
NUMBERS DECODED
| Revenue – The Hero | EBITDA – The Sidekick | Margins – The Drama Queen |
|---|---|---|
| ₹ down 3.42% YoY | Not disclosed in full | Gross margin down 13.57% |
Revenue:Railway turnover fell ~25%, but bidding project turnover rose 3x. Expect positive growth from Q2.
EBITDA:Impacted by ₹60 crore hit (₹20 cr BharatNet pre-bid + ₹40 cr onerous contracts).
Margins:Competitive bids start low; margins to recover as scope changes and claims get approved.
ANALYST QUESTIONS
Q:“When will revenue mix improve?”A:Already ahead of last year; bidding projects making up the gap.Street take:So… the slump was just for show?
Q:“Vande Bharat timelines?”A:Prototype June 2026, 90% payment on build, trials 60 days, FY27 rollouts.Street take:Sleeper class dreams, express speed reality.
Q:“JV profits?”A:Dividends from SPRCL and others this year; traffic up, debt down.Street take:The JV gravy train has left the depot.
GUIDANCE & OUTLOOK
Management expects FY26 revenue to
