Coming soon: Vande Bharat sleeper trains. Are Railways eyeing trains better than Rajdhani?
2 min read 21 Jun 2023, 07:56 AM ISTThe Indian government plans to introduce Vande Bharat sleeper trains on long-distance routes. The first batch is expected to roll out next year with three versions of the train, including Vande Metro, Vande Chair Car, and Vande Sleepers
PremiumThe Narendra Modi-led BJP government is gearing up to introduce Vande Bharat sleeper trains on long-distance routes. As per a report in Economic Times, the first batch of Vande Bharat sleeper trains will roll out next year.
"The Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai is readying the design for sleeper variant Vande Bharat trains by December-end," Union railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told ET. "The first few trains will be ready by March 2024," he added.
Last month, the Union railways minister said there will be three versions of Vande Bharat trains -- Vande Chair Car, Vande Metro, and Vande Sleepers -- by February-March next year.
“There are three formats of Vande Bharat. Vande Metro for less than 100 kilometres, Vande Chair Car for 100-550 kilometres, and Vande Sleepers for a journey beyond 550 kilometres. These three formats will be ready by February-March (next year)," Vaishnaw said after the launch of a Vande Bharat train from Uttarakhand's Dehradun to Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station in Delhi.
Madhya Pradesh to get two Vande Bharat trains on 27 June
On 27 June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off two Vande Bharat trains in Bhopal.
"The PM will flag off the Bhopal-Indore and Bhopal Jabalpur Vande Bharat trains from Bhopal on June 27," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.
Earlier on 1 April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express train at Rani Kamalapati railway station. The train covers a distance of 708 kilometers in 7.45 hours.
Indian Railways to launch 5 Vande Bharat trains
The Indian Railways is all set to launch five new Vande Bharat Express trains simultaneously. The launch event will take place on June 26. The new routes for the Vande Bharat Express trains will include Mumbai-Goa, Bengaluru-Hubballi-Dharwad, Patna-Ranchi, Bhopal-Indore, and Bhopal-Jabalpur
Meanwhile, PM Modi's ambitious plan to run 75 Vande Bharat trains by August 2024, may not be fulfilled as the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, failed to deliver even one Vande Bharat train in 2022-23 against a projected target of 32, documents have revealed.
-With agency inputs