India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper coach maintenance facility to be ready by 2026

Jodhpur: India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper coach maintenance facility is set to be completed by mid-2026 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, a senior North Western Railway official has announced.

According to Major Amit Swamy, Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer of the North Western Railway, the state-of-the-art depot is being developed at Bhagat Ki Kothi railway station at an estimated cost of ₹360 crore.

The first phase of the project — which includes a 600-metre track capable of maintaining 24 sleeper coaches of Vande Bharat trains — is expected to be ready by June 2026. The second phase, featuring a 178-metre track, workshop, and simulator facility, is scheduled for completion by June 2027.

“The facility will also include a dedicated wheel rack system and a specialised testing laboratory with modern simulators for training and evaluation of high-tech equipment,” Swamy said, highlighting Indian Railways’ focus on precision, safety, and efficiency.

The first phase will cost ₹167 crore and the second ₹195 crore. The project is being executed by the North Western Railway in collaboration with Railway Vikas Nigam Limited and Kinet Railway Solution — a joint venture between India and Russia.

The Jodhpur depot will exclusively service Vande Bharat sleeper coaches, which are set to be introduced soon. It will feature a three-tier inspection setup capable of handling three trains simultaneously, along with advanced machinery for lifting entire train rakes, bogie transfers via a drop pit table, and wheel-turning systems to ensure seamless maintenance operations.

Four additional Vande Bharat maintenance facilities are also being developed at Bijwasan (Delhi), Thanisandra (Bengaluru), Anand Vihar (Delhi), and Wadi Bandar (Mumbai).

Once operational, the Jodhpur facility will be able to maintain eight to nine trains daily. Each Vande Bharat train will require maintenance every four days or after covering 3,500 kilometres, Swamy added.