Sleeper Vande Bharat coming soon! Likely to run on Mangaluru–Thiruvananthapuram route
Kozhikode: Sleeper Vande Bharat Express trains, hailed as the pride of Indian Railways, are nearing completion. They are being manufactured at the coach factories in Chennai and Rae Bareli. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared images and details of the new coaches on X. The coaches have already undergone trial runs and feasibility checks.
The country’s first sleeper Vande Bharat is expected to be launched on the Delhi–Patna route by Diwali, though the Railways has not officially announced it yet. Including those under production, India currently has 136 chair car Vande Bharat trains. The new sleeper coaches are designed with an emphasis on luxury, comfort, safety and modernity. These trains will feature sleeper coaches only. There are also plans to restrict chair car Vande Bharat services solely to daytime journeys. The first trial run of the sleeper Vande Bharat took place in September last year.
Kerala expected to get it next year
Kerala may get a sleeper Vande Bharat service on the Mangaluru–Thiruvananthapuram route next year, for which a detailed project report is being prepared. MP M K Raghavan had submitted a request to Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to sanction three sleeper Vande Bharat Express services on the Bengaluru–Kozhikode, Chennai–Kozhikode and Mangaluru–Thiruvananthapuram routes. During a recent meeting, the minister assured him that approval for the Mangaluru–Thiruvananthapuram service would be granted.
However, the Railway Board’s clearance is still awaited, the Palakkad Railway Division’s Public Relations Department said.
Key features
- A total of 16 coaches
- Top speed of 160 km/h
- 11 AC three-tier coaches
- 4 AC two-tier coaches
- 1 AC first-class coach
- Modern lighting
- Surveillance cameras
- 51 advanced toilets
- Crash-resistant features
- Heat ventilation
- Air-conditioning (HVAC) system