India plans 260 advanced Vande Bharat sleeper trains to modernise overnight travel

Since the debut of the Vande Bharat Express in 2019, Indian Railways is expanding the brand with a sleeper version for long-distance night journeys. Early this year saw the launch of two sleeper pairs on the Guwahati-Howrah corridor, with a second pair in trial and a possible Bengaluru-Mumbai service pending confirmation. Manufacturing includes ten 16-coach sets from BEML, fifty 24-coach sets from ICF Chennai, and a 200-train order split between Kinet and the Titagarh-BHEL JV.

An Indo-Russian joint venture, Kinet Railway Solutions Ltd, will assemble 120 units at the upgraded Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur. The sleeper trains feature distributed power, 11 AC 3-tier, four AC 2-tier and one AC First Class coach, bio-vacuum toilets, shower facilities, anti-collision KAVACH system, and regenerative braking. The first prototype, originally due by June 2026, is now expected by March 31 next year, with the first commercial runs anticipated shortly thereafter.