Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains To Roll Out In 2 Months, Railways Minister Shares Big Update

vande bharat sleeper trains to roll out in 2 months, railways minister shares big update

New Delhi: The much awaited Vande Bharat sleeper trains will start operations within two months, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. The minister also highlighted the aesthetics and functionality in Vande Bharat sleeper train’s interior and exterior design.

He also revealed that Indian Railways aims to deploy approximately 250 units of Vande Bharat sleeper trains by 2029.

“The Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains designed by BEML prioritise both aesthetic appeal and functionality in their interiors, sleeper berths, and exteriors. From the front nose cone to interior panels, seats and berths, interior lights, couplers, gangways and beyond, every element is meticulously designed to meet the exacting standards of the sleeper trainset,” he said.

“The completion work of the trainset of the Vande Bharat sleeper train is in full swing and the first train will be on track within two months. All technical works are in the last phase. The trainset is manufactured by BEML Ltd at its rail unit in Bangalore. The much-awaited Vande Bharat Sleeper version will provide easy mobility to commuters and offer various comforts in the near future with global standards,” Vaishnaw added.

The car body structure is crafted with high-grade Austenitic stainless steel, featuring crashworthy elements integrated into the crash buffers and couplers, the minister explained.

“All materials and aggregates adhere to stringent safety standards, meeting the Fire standard requirements as per EN45545 HL3 grade,” the railway minister said.

The minister said a major reason is heavy subsidising of tickets.

“In a normal scenario, if the cost of a product is Rs 100, we would sell it at Rs 105-110. But in the case of rail tickets, the government is paying Rs 55 from its pocket. The annual subsidy burden of the government is Rs 59,000 crore,” he said.

Besides newer trains, Vaishnaw also said 19,837 special trains services were run to address the for summer rush during April, May, and June 2024.

Vande Bharat

Notably, the use of Vande Bharat trains is currently limited to daytime routes due to chair seating. The sleeper variants will bring offer more comfort for passengers undertaking longer journeys.

Meanwhile, Mini Vande Bharat Express is set to transform the travel scene between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Howrah in West Bengal. Comprising of eight coaches, the train will run at a speed of 130-160 km/hour, covering the distance between these two cities in approximately six hours.

This train will be the fifth Vande Bharat train connecting Varanasi to many other key locations across the country. Currently, Vande Bharat services are available between Varanasi and New Delhi through two trains, and between Varanasi and Patna and Ranchi.

Vande Bharat, previously known as Train 18, has a maximum operational speed of 160 km/h. The first Vande Bharat train was launched in 2019, and since then, it has received a lot of appreciation for its high-end features and comfort. The first Vande Bharat was launched on the New Delhi to Varanasi route.