Vande Bharat Sleeper Train: The country’s first semi-high-speed Sleeper Vande Bharat Express is now fully prepared to operate on long-distance routes. Designed with the aim of providing greater comfort and convenience for passengers on extended journeys, Indian Railways has completely redeveloped its design from scratch.
The Sleeper Vande Bharat has been conceptualised to enable fatigue-free travel over distances of 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres. So far, two sleeper rakes have been prepared, while 50 more rakes are under construction at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. Railways plans to introduce 10 to 12 Sleeper Vande Bharat trains on tracks during the current year.
The first Sleeper Vande Bharat will run on the Guwahati–Kolkata route. Subsequently, the trains under preparation will also be deployed on tracks in Haryana and other parts of northern India. Currently, chair-car Vande Bharat services are operating on the Delhi–Katra route, but considering the long-distance potential, there is a possibility of introducing Sleeper Vande Bharat on this route in the future.
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New Design, New Technology, Greater Comfort
Several key changes have been incorporated in the Sleeper Vande Bharat to enhance passenger experience. The coaches will be connected using new-design semi-automatic couplers, ensuring that passengers feel no jerks during acceleration or braking.
The loco pilot’s cabin has been made state-of-the-art. Toilets feature a new water-saving design. For safety, CCTV cameras have been installed throughout the coaches. Keeping long-distance travel in mind, separate berths have been provided for pantry and housekeeping staff so that service remains uninterrupted.
Successful Trial At 182 km/h Speed
Recently, the Sleeper Vande Bharat underwent a speed trial, achieving a speed of 182 kilometres per hour. During the trial, glasses of water placed on the engine did not spill, demonstrating the train’s exceptionally smooth running capability. A 16-coach Sleeper Vande Bharat will offer 860 berths, while a 20-coach version will have 1,076 berths, and a 24-coach train will provide 1,292 berths.
The first rake was manufactured by BEML in Bengaluru, while the remaining rakes will be built at ICF Chennai. The total target is to manufacture 1,500 coaches.
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Equipped With Five-Star Facilities
The Sleeper Vande Bharat stands out with modern amenities such as charging sockets, reading lights, snack tables, bio-vacuum touch-free toilets, hot water showers in First AC, GPS-based LED displays and announcement systems, on-board infotainment, centralised coach monitoring, fire detection, and collision avoidance systems. In case of OHE failure, the train will have an emergency backup power supply for three hours.
The country’s first semi-high-speed Sleeper Vande Bharat Express is now fully prepared to operate on long-distance routes. Designed with the aim of providing greater comfort and convenience for passengers on extended journeys, Indian Railways has completely redeveloped its design from scratch.
The Sleeper Vande Bharat has been conceptualised to enable fatigue-free travel over distances of 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres. So far, two sleeper rakes have been prepared, while 50 more rakes are under construction at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. Railways plans to introduce 10 to 12 Sleeper Vande Bharat trains on tracks during the current year.
The first Sleeper Vande Bharat will run on the Guwahati–Kolkata route. Subsequently, the trains under preparation will also be deployed on tracks in Haryana and other parts of northern India. Currently, chair-car Vande Bharat services are operating on the Delhi–Katra route, but considering the long-distance potential, there is a possibility of introducing Sleeper Vande Bharat on this route in the future.
New Design, New Technology, Greater Comfort
Several key changes have been incorporated in the Sleeper Vande Bharat to enhance passenger experience. The coaches will be connected using new-design semi-automatic couplers, ensuring that passengers feel no jerks during acceleration or braking.
The loco pilot’s cabin has been made state-of-the-art. Toilets feature a new water-saving design. For safety, CCTV cameras have been installed throughout the coaches. Keeping long-distance travel in mind, separate berths have been provided for pantry and housekeeping staff so that service remains uninterrupted.
Successful Trial at 182 km/h Speed
Recently, the Sleeper Vande Bharat underwent a speed trial, achieving a speed of 182 kilometres per hour. During the trial, glasses of water placed on the engine did not spill, demonstrating the train’s exceptionally smooth running capability. A 16-coach Sleeper Vande Bharat will offer 860 berths, while a 20-coach version will have 1,076 berths, and a 24-coach train will provide 1,292 berths.
The first rake was manufactured by BEML in Bengaluru, while the remaining rakes will be built at ICF Chennai. The total target is to manufacture 1,500 coaches.
Equipped with Five-Star Facilities
The Sleeper Vande Bharat stands out with modern amenities such as charging sockets, reading lights, snack tables, bio-vacuum touch-free toilets, hot water showers in First AC, GPS-based LED displays and announcement systems, on-board infotainment, centralised coach monitoring, fire detection, and collision avoidance systems. In case of OHE failure, the train will have an emergency backup power supply for three hours.
