Vande Bharat sleeper trains not anytime soon

NEW DELHI: It is now reported that the highly anticipated Vande Bharat sleeper trains will not be introduced anytime soon. The construction and delivery of 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains will take longer than expected. Discussions are ongoing regarding design refinement and the length of the train's coaches.

The project consists of a Rs 60,000 crore supply and maintenance contract to build the Vadne Bharat sleeper rakes. The railway has demanded 24 coaches on this train. The contract allows for changes in the coach construction of each rake.

The contract for supply and maintenance work has been awarded to Kinet Railway Solutions, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Titagarh Railway Systems. The contract is for 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains. The prototype trains should be ready within a year, but the two companies have yet to start work on them.

Integral Coach Factory in Chennai and Indian Railways EML were specially nominated to supply 10 trains. A prototype of some of the coaches was showcased earlier this month. The first batch of trains is expected to start service by the end of this year. Vande Bharat Sleepers will surpass Rajdhani Express in speed, safety and passenger comfort.

Vande Bharat sleepers can run at a maximum speed of 160 kmph. Kinet Railway Solutions, an India-Russia joint venture, will supply 120 Vande Bharat sleepers of all variants. It is reported that the BHEL-TRS consortium has placed an order for 80 trains.