Indian Railways' First Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Set completed its long-distance trial, and ICF to deliver nine more of them by this year end in 2025.
As per the recent report on 06 February 2025, by the Ministry of Railways, Govt. of India, the first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Set completed its long-distance trial. The Indian Railways' Integral Coach Factory (ICF) is set to Deliver nine more Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Sets by the end of this year, in 2025.
As per this recent report, the first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Set completed its long-distance trial, with 9 more set to be ready by the end of this year, that is, a total of 10 Vande Bharat Sleepers. The Ministry of Railways had already mentioned back in December 2024 that 10 Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are under production.
16-car Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Set completes rigorous testing
As per the recent report, this world-class, high-speed sleeper train is now a reality, as the first 16-car Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Set has successfully completed rigorous trials by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), on 15th January 2025, for 540 kilometres distance in the Mumbai- Ahmedabad section.
Vande Bharat Sleeper on its trial run glides past Andheri Station🚆✨ #VandeBharatSleeper#IndianRailway pic.twitter.com/FzGD7oYyzt
— Western Railway (@WesternRly) January 15, 2025
Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, had completed manufacturing India's first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train set in last year, on December 17, 2024. The train was soon brought to Kota division and successfully tested for short distances of 30 to 40 kilometres for three days in a row in the first week of last month of January 2025, where it achieved a comfortable travel experience at a high speed of 180 km per hour.
Vande Bharat (Sleeper) testing at 180 kmph pic.twitter.com/ruVaR3NNOt
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 2, 2025
Last month in January 2025, the Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, had shared a video, on X, of testing Vande Bharat Sleeper at 180 Kilometres per hour speed, with a glass of full of water, where the water doesn't spill out even during its high speed run.
After the successful trial of the prototype Vande Bharat Sleeper, nine more Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Sets are scheduled to be produced between April and December, this year in 2025. These trains will certainly set new benchmarks in efficiency and convenience for long distance railway travel in India.
24-car Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Sets to be ready in 2 years
As per the recent report, Indian Railways placed a major order for propulsion electrics for 50 rakes of the 24-car Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Sets on 17th December 2024. The order, which is given to two leading Indian manufacturers, is likely to be ready in 2 years time frame. Full-scale production of the 24-car Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Sets is set to commence in 2026-27.
Speciality of Vande Bharat Trains
Vande Bharat Express trains are India's first-ever indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high speed trains that offer a more modern and comfortable rail travel experience. Vande Bharat trains are not only high speed trains, but they also have advanced safety features and world-class services, such as passenger amenities.
There are already 136 Vande Bharat trains that are Air-Conditioned (AC) Chair Cars with reclining seats and world-class amenities and advanced safety features, which are running across India over medium and short distances.
Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, as the name itself suggests, are the sleeper version of Vande Bharat trains. Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are Air-Conditioned (AC) with sleeper berths, which are designed with features like automatic doors, ultra comfortable berths, on board WiFi, and an aircraft-like design. The Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, which include sleeper berths, aims to give such an excellent experience over long distances too.
Vande Bharat trains are designed and built in India under the Make in India initiative. With these trains, Indian Railways aims to provide a more modern, efficient, and passenger-friendly transportation across the destinations in India.
Some features of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains
- It has 16 coaches that are divided into three classes: AC 1st Class, AC 2-Tier, and AC 3-Tier.
- It has a total capacity of 1,128 passengers.
- It has crash buffers, deformation tubes, and a fire barrier wall.
- It has automatic doors, cushioned berths, and onboard WiFi.
Earlier, last year on September 2, 2024, the Union Minister for Railways had shared some more features of Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains, in a series of posts on X, including Upgraded HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system; Black Box that captures real-time data; Top Safety Standards such as Vigilance Control Device requiring driver operation every minute, Fire Detection System and HL3 safety compliance with a 15-minute response time; Ergonomically designed toilets with options for Euro, Oriental, and combination styles, and shower facilities in the First-Class category.
A few days ago, just after the Union Budget 2025-26, on February 01, 2025, he had announced that people can expect 200 new Vande Bharat trains, 100 Amrit Bharat trains, 50 Namo Bharat rapid rail, and 17,500 general non AC coaches in the next 2 to 3 years.
As per the recent report, India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train will be available for travelling after the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) issues a final certificate after analysing the trial runs and after the railway safety commissioner evaluates the train at its maximum speed.
If you've already travelled by a Vande Bharat Express trains which are AC Chair Cars, you'd be certainly looking forward to experience travelling by these upcoming Vande Bharat Sleeper express trains that are AC Sleepers.
- Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Set: Ushering Soon a New Era of Comfortable Long Distance Travel - Ministry of Railways, on PIB - Press Information Bureau. Posted On: 06 FEB 2025 7:03PM by PIB Delhi. Retrieved 06 February 2025.
- 10 Vande Bharat Sleeper trains under production; manufacturing of 200 Vande Bharat Sleeper Rakes awarded to Technology partners: Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw - Ministry of Railways, on PIB - Press Information Bureau. Posted On: 18 DEC 2024 7:29PM by PIB Delhi. Retrieved 06 February 2025.