Vande Bharat Sleeper: Indian Railways’ Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are set to further transform rail travel in the country. Vande Bharat Sleeper trains have been designed for long and medium distance travel with a focus on speed, comfort and the latest technology.
Features of Vande Bharat Sleeper train
Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are being designed with the best features like automatic doors, comfortable berths, flight style design and on-board Wi-Fi. With the introduction of this new semi-high-speed train, passengers will experience a quieter, smoother and more comfortable journey equipped with global labour facilities and safety features.
Vande Bharat Sleeper train status
After the successful testing of the Vande Bharat sleeper train earlier this year, many are still wondering: when will this next-generation train finally roll out?
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday (July 25, 2025), the Railway Minister said that the first rake of the Vande Bharat sleeper train is about to be commissioned. The minister said, “The first prototype of the Vande Bharat sleeper trainset has already been made. Based on extensive field trials and the experience gained from it, the first rake of the Vande Bharat sleeper train is being commissioned.”
In a separate response, the Union Minister informed that the design of the Vande Bharat sleeper trains to be manufactured by the Indian Railways has been finalised. He further informed that currently 10 such trains are under production.
Vaishnaw said, “Another 50 Vande Bharat sleeper rakes are being produced by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai. In addition, the contract for manufacturing 200 Vande Bharat sleeper rakes has also been awarded to tech partners, out of which M/s KINET Railway Solutions Ltd has to supply 120 trains with 16 coaches each. This is as per the original contract agreement.”
When did the first Vande Bharat train start?
The country’s first semi-high speed train Vande Bharat Express was launched on 15 February 2019. For the first time, it was run at an average speed of 100 km per hour. This train, which travels between Delhi and Varanasi in just 8 hours and between Delhi and Prayagraj in just 6.8 hours, was flagged off by PM Modi. This train started operating regularly from 17 February 2019.