200 Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains: Following the success of its Vande Bharat chair car trains, Indian Railways is gearing up to introduce 200 sleeper versions of these high-speed trains. A senior railway official confirmed that the first rake of the sleeper train has been rolled out for simulation testing. “Production of 10 sleeper trains is underway as part of the broader plan to launch 200 such trains,” the official stated.
Read More: Vande Bharat Express 2024: Railways launched several trains
The first prototype of the sleeper rake, manufactured by BEML, was rolled out from the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai after stringent quality checks. These sleeper trains are currently undergoing loaded simulation trials to evaluate their performance at speeds of 130 kmph and 180 kmph under diverse conditions, according to officials.
The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in Lucknow is supervising these trials to assess the train’s stability and performance with varying loads. The sleeper trains are designed to run at speeds of up to 180 kmph and will consist of 16 coaches, accommodating passengers in Class I, II, and III configurations.
Read More: Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Completes Successful Trial Run
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, closely monitoring the project in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, expressed optimism about its progress. He mentioned that 10 sleeper trains are being manufactured to cater to medium- and long-distance travel needs, with the rollout timeline dependent on the trials’ success.
Currently, 136 Vande Bharat chair car trains are operational on broad gauge electrified networks, with an overall occupancy exceeding 100%. In a recent response in the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw emphasized the growing demand for these services.
Additionally, Indian Railways has ramped up production of Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches. Between 2014 and 2024, over 36,933 LHB coaches were manufactured, a significant increase compared to the 2,337 produced between 2004 and 2014.
