Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Coaches Unveiled: First Train With Newly Developed Sleeper Coaches To Be Rolled Out By February
Indian Railways is set to roll out the first Vande Bharat sleeper train by February 2024, which will offer a new travel experience to passengers who want to travel long distances on high-speed trains overnight. The prototype of the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat train is expected to be completed by mid-October at the BEML factory in Bengaluru. The design of the prototype will feature eleven AC III tier coaches and four AC II tier coaches, along with one First Class AC coach.
The Vande Bharat sleeper train will have 857 berths, out of which 823 will be for passengers and 34 for staff. Each coach will also have a mini pantry. The train will be manufactured by a consortium of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Russia’s TMH Group, which bid the lowest to supply 120 of the 200 new versions of Vande Bharat sleeper trains. The other 80 trains will be manufactured by a consortium of Titagarh Wagons and BHEL.
The first look of the Vande Bharat sleeper coaches was shared by a Twitter user on October 1, 2023. The images show the sleek and modern design of the coaches, with spacious interiors and comfortable seats. The coaches also have large windows, LED lights, and digital displays.
The Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be a significant addition to the Indian Railways fleet, as they will allow passengers to travel long distances on these high-speed trains overnight. The trains will also have world-class features, such as automatic doors, CCTV cameras, bio-toilets, fire and smoke detection systems, and GPS-based passenger information systems.
The Vande Bharat Express is India’s first indigenous semi-high-speed train, which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 15, 2019. The train runs between New Delhi and Varanasi, and has a maximum speed of 180 kmph. The train is seen as a symbol of a progressive and self-reliant India, and showcases India’s engineering prowess. The project to manufacture indigenous semi-high-speed train sets began in mid-2017, and within 18 months, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai completed Train-18. The country’s first semi-high-speed train was named Vande Bharat Express in January 2019.
The Vande Bharat Express is expected to expand its network across the country, with more routes and destinations being planned. The sleeper version of the train will enable passengers to enjoy a comfortable and fast journey on these trains overnight. The first look of the Vande Bharat sleeper coaches has generated a lot of excitement and curiosity among the public, who are eagerly waiting for the launch of the train in 2024.
