Vande Bharat Sleeper Train: Trials of First Prototype Completed, Commissioning Underway; 60 Rakes Provisioned For Production At ICF Chennai

The Indian Railways has successfully completed field trials for the first 16-car prototype rake of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train, marking a key milestone in the expansion of the Vande Bharat fleet.

The prototype, which has already been manufactured, is currently under commissioning, the government has informed the Parliament.

For the rollout of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, a total of 10 rakes in a 16-car configuration and 50 rakes in a 24-car configuration have been provisioned for production at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

"The first 16-car prototype rake of Vande Bharat Sleeper Train-set has been manufactured. Field trials have been completed and the rake is under commissioning. Total 10 Rakes in 16-Car composition and 50 rakes in 24-Car configuration have been provisioned for manufacture at ICF Chennai," Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

Further, the ministry has also awarded contracts for production of 200 Vande Bharat Sleeper rakes.

"Besides, contracts for Manufacture of 200 Vande Bharat Sleeper rakes in Indian Railway Production Units using Indian Railway Staff through Technology partners have also been placed," he said.

The new sleeper variant of the Vande Bharat train features several advanced safety and technological upgrades.

It is equipped with KAVACH, India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, crashworthy semi-permanent couplers, anti-climbers, and an EN-standard-compliant crashworthy carbody design to enhance passenger safety.

The train also meets EN-45545 HL3 fire safety standards and includes fire barrier doors at the end of each coach.

For improved efficiency, the Vande Bharat Sleeper train incorporates a regenerative braking system, which enhances energy savings, along with higher acceleration and deceleration capabilities for better operational efficiency.

Passenger convenience has also been prioritised, with automatic plug doors, fully sealed wider gangways, and an ergonomically designed ladder for accessing upper berths.

Additionally, the train will feature CCTV surveillance, an emergency talk-back unit for communication with the train manager or loco pilot, and centralised monitoring of passenger amenities such as air conditioning and lighting.

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