Vande Bharat Sleeper upgrade: 24-coach trains underway; 50 rakes planned

Chennai: The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Perambur is progressing with the construction of Vande Bharat sleeper trains with 24 coaches, ICF General Manager Subbarao said. He added that the design is in its final stages and the trains are expected to be rolled out by the end of this year.

At present, the first 16-coach Vande Bharat sleeper train, manufactured by Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), began service on the Howrah–Guwahati route on January 17. Its performance is currently under close observation. The upcoming 24-coach version is being designed with additional passenger amenities.

The shortcomings identified in the newly introduced 16-coach sleeper rake will be addressed in the 24-coach variant, Subbarao said.

Meanwhile, the construction of Amrit Bharat Express train coaches is also progressing at ICF. So far, 17 Amrit Bharat trains have been rolled out from the factory, while work on 492 coaches is currently underway.

The new Amrit Bharat rakes under production will include both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned coaches. Future Amrit Bharat trains will also feature AC coaches, the General Manager added.