TV
Indian Railways is set to launch the country’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train this month, marking a significant milestone in India’s high-speed rail journey. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier confirmed that the sleeper variant would debut in September, though the exact date and inaugural route are yet to be finalised.
The prototype of the Vande Bharat Sleeper, designed for long and medium-distance travel, has already been manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
According to a written reply in Parliament, the first rake is now undergoing commissioning after extensive field trials, including a 540-kilometre run on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad section earlier this year, as per reports by The Indian Express.
Features of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train:
The Vande Bharat sleeper train has been designed to run at speeds of up to 180 kmph and will feature three travel classes: AC First, AC 2-tier, and AC 3-tier.
It will have a total seating and berth capacity of 1,128 passengers. Modern safety measures such as crash buffers, fire barrier walls, and deformation tubes are integrated into its design.
Passenger facilities include cushioned berths, modular pantries, automatic doors, onboard WiFi, public information systems, reading lights with USB charging ports, and showers in the First AC coaches.
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Expansion Plans and Production Push
At present, ten Vande Bharat Sleeper rakes are under production, with contracts for 200 additional sets already awarded to technology partners. Of these, 120 trains of 16 coaches each will be supplied under the initial agreement.
The Railway Board has also cleared plans to increase the capacity of existing Vande Bharat Express services, with several routes transitioning from 8 to 16 coaches, and some extended further to 20 coaches, reflecting growing passenger demand.
In Odisha, the Rourkela–Howrah Vande Bharat Express is among the services set for capacity expansion. Introduced as an 8-coach train, it will soon operate with 16 coaches to ease high waiting lists and accommodate the festive season rush.
Why Odisha Could Benefit from Vande Bharat Sleeper?
While the inaugural route for the Vande Bharat Sleeper has not yet been disclosed, Odisha emerges as a strong candidate for future allocation.
Long-haul corridors such as Bhubaneswar–Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar–Hyderabad, where journeys currently take 22 to 30 hours, are considered ideal for sleeper services.
A Vande Bharat Sleeper on these routes could cut travel time significantly, reducing the Bhubaneswar–Bengaluru run to around 17 hours, while offering comfort and safety on par with global standards.
Odisha’s rail infrastructure is also favourable for such an upgrade, with fully electrified corridors, improved signalling systems, and proven demand for premium services. Current long-distance trains connecting the state often run at full occupancy, proving that the state could benefit from the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains.
