NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways is planning to roll out an ultra-modern sleeper version of Vande Bharat trains by March this year. The production of coaches for the sleeper version is in full swing, according to railway officials.
Currently, the Railways is running the chair car versions of Vande Bharat trains on 39 routes across the country. The Vande Bharat sleeper version would initially cover overnight journeys on some select routes, such as Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Howrah and Delhi-Patna.
After the rollout in March and associated mandatory trials, the initial sets of sleeper version are expected to start running by the first or second week of April. A few months later, the serial production of these trains will start, most likely from August or September this year.
According to a senior railway official, the sleeper version comes with enhanced features, safety and comfort. “The quality, durability and affordability are to be of international standards, enough to be exported in the next few years,” said the official, adding that all sets of the sleeper version will be equipped with Kavach system and will have a maximum speed of 200 kmph.
Bharat Earth Movers Limited and the Integral Coach Factory are manufacturing the trains with several new features such as special lightings that create a soothing ambience.
Railway sources hinted that each train of the sleeper version will have a composition of 16 AC1 tier coaches that accommodate 850 berths.