Indian Railways to introduce Vande Bharat sleeper coaches, Vande Metro trains soon; Check details

Indian Railways is going to launch the Vande Bharat sleeper trains soon. The introduction of sleeper coach trains will enable passengers to undertake extensive overnight journeys aboard these high-speed trains.

BG Mallya, the General Manager of Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, recently shared details of these upcoming developments with the news agency ANI. He stated, “We will be launching the sleeper version of Vande Bharat within this financial year.”

He also mentioned that Indian Railways will introduce a train for passengers who prefer non-air-conditioned travel. This train will consist of 22 non-AC sleeper coaches with a locomotive at both ends. The launch of this train is planned to take place before the end of October.

The sleeper version of Vande Bharat Express is expected to consist of 16 coaches, offering 11 AC three-tier coaches, 4 AC two-tier coaches, and 1 first AC coach. Mallya said that these trains would be “cost-effective,” making high-speed rail travel more accessible to a broader range of passengers for long-distance journeys.

 

In addition to the sleeper trains, ICF is also working on the Vande Metro, a 12-coach train designed for short-distance travel, according to reports. This train is scheduled for release in January or February of 2024.

According to an Economic Times report, the production of these sleeper trains is a joint venture between India's Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Russia's TMH Group, which secured the contract to supply 120 out of the 200 new Vande Bharat sleeper trains due to their lowest bid. The remaining 80 trains will be manufactured by a consortium consisting of Titagarh Wagons and BHEL.

These new sleeper trains are seen as a viable alternative to the Rajdhani Express trains, providing passengers with more options for comfortable overnight travel.

The Vande Bharat Express, India's semi-high-speed train, has already made significant strides in transforming rail travel across the country. With 50 operational services, it has improved passenger experiences by offering state-of-the-art amenities and reduced travel time.

The journey of the Vande Bharat Express began on February 15, 2019, when it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, connecting New Delhi and Varanasi. This train, manufactured at the ICF in Chennai, embodies the Make-In-India initiative.

The project to produce an indigenous semi-high-speed train commenced in mid-2017, with the ICF Chennai completing Train-18 within 18 months. Renamed Vande Bharat Express in January 2019, this train touched a maximum speed of 180 kmph on the Kota-Sawai Madhopur section.