Vande Bharat Express sleeper coaches to get dispatched from Bengaluru's BEML, expected to be launched by December
The first Vande Bharat sleeper train will be launched in December, a set from Bengaluru’s Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) will be dispatched on Sept 20.
India’s semi-high-speed rail, Vande Bharat Express, is all set to be launched with sleeper coaches. The first such train will be launched in December, as the first set from Bengaluru’s Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) will be dispatched on September 20.
In an X post, Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan wrote, “India's first Vande Bharat sleeper train is set to be dispatched from Bengaluru's BEML plant by September 20 and is expected to be operational by December.”
The sleeper coaches are currently being manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) and Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML).
The Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be a significant addition to the Indian Railways fleet, allowing passengers to travel long distances on the high-speed trains overnight. Currently, the Vande Bharat trains only have seating options. Thisindigenous version of a semi-light-speed train aims to provide a new experience to the passengers where they can travel long distances by sleeping in the berths.
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The sleeper coaches of Vande Bharat will have wider berths, brighter interiors, and spacious toilets. The ICF is reportedlydeveloping a new type of Vande Bharat train called the ‘Vande Metro’. It will be a 12-coach train designed for short-distance travel.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted on X in October last year and said that the basic design of the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains had been approved and that the manufacturing of the train sets had begun.
"Vande Bharat sleeper, Amrit Bharat and Namo Bharat trains are transforming the passenger experience. These ‘Made in India’ advanced trainsets have huge export potential," the minister told the paper.
In November 2022, PM Narendra Modi launched a Vande Bharat train between Chennai and Mysuru via Bengaluru, the first train in south India. Bengaluru has Vande Bharat Trains to Dharwad, Belagavi, Hubballi, Chennai, Coimbatore, Mysuru and Hyderabad.