Adieu to iconic Jan Shatabdi, Rajdhani express? Railway official drops sly hint

MUMBAI: Railway will soon launch sleeper coaches for Vande Bharat Express for long-distance journeys. The work is ongoing in the integral coach factory and it is rumored that the new train will mirror the same opulent interior of airlines. The train will come on par with the business class airline facility to provide peak travel comfort for passengers.

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has shared the pictures of the new train coaches. The line-up consists of luxury coaches that can travel at a speed of 200 km.

Sources inside railways confirm that the sleeper coaches of Vande Bharat will start service soon. Talks are also ongoing on whether to disband the iconic Jan Shatabdi Express and Rajdhani trains with the arrival of the new high-speed Vande Bharat services. There are also plans to extend the Vande Bharat services and connect them with the Vande metro project in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, an unnamed railway official told Financial Express that the current Vande Bharat Express trains will replace the Shatabdi Express in a phased manner. Railway sources say that sleeper coaches of Vande Bharat are also likely to run as an alternative to the current Rajdhani Express.

Rajdhani Express is one of the premium services of Indian Railways connecting the national capital Delhi with various state capitals. In an earlier interview granted to Financial Express, BG Mallya, General Manager of Chennai Integral Coach Factory, said that many of the schedules operated by the Vande Bharat Express are compatible with the Shatabdi Express. He also hinted at the possibility that Vande Bharat Express will replace the Janashatabdi services in the future.

It is said that the Shatabdi Express will be considered for other routes in the future.