In what marks a significant update concerning the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat Express, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has said that the luxury sleeper train will be launched next December. According to a Moneycontrol report, Vaishnav stressed that some minor issues were encountered during testing of the first rake of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Train. It led to some changes regarding the bogies, seats, and passenger amenities. With work on all these improvements progressing rapidly, the rollout is slated for December.
The Railway Minister emphasised that while the changes were small, they are being undertaken with utmost seriousness.
Prototype rake returned for retrofitting
BEML, which is responsible for manufacturing the Vande Bharat sleeper trains, has confirmed that the prototype rake has been returned to them for retrofitting. The train underwent several rounds of testing and trials under the supervision of the RDSO and the Commissioner of Railway Safety.
According to a BEML official, since it is a prototype, it is natural that it will undergo extensive testing on all safety and comfort parameters. All suggested changes are being implemented.
In a letter to the RDSO, the Railway Ministry said that future trains will be equipped with several significant changes, including new AC duct locations, arc-fault detection devices for fire safety, fire-survival cables for CCTV, third-party audits against European fire and crash standards, and new positions for emergency alarm buttons. Along with this, improvements are also being made to train furnishing and workmanship.
Sleeper coach maintenance facility
In a related development, India’s first Vande Bharat train sleeper coach maintenance facility is going to be ready by mid-2026 in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur. According to news agency PTI, Amit Swamy, North Western Railway's Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer, said that the state-of-the-art facility at Bhagat Ki Kothi Railway Station will incur a budgetary allocation of Rs 360 crore.
