Vande Bharat (sleeper trainset)

This article is about the EMU trainset. For Vande Bharat (Sleeper) Express services offered by Indian Railways, see Vande Bharat (Sleeper) Express.

Vande Bharat sleeper trainset
Vande Bharat sleeper trainset's prototype at Rail Coach Factory, BEML, Bangalore
Stock typeElectric Multiple Unit
ManufacturerBEML
Number built1
OperatorsIndian Railways
Specifications
Car body constructionAustenitic stainless steel and Polycarbonate
DoorsAutomatic
Maximum speed180 km/h (110 mph)[1]
Power supply25 kV 50 Hz AC
Braking system(s)Air, Regenerative braking
Safety system(s)Kavach
Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge

The Vande Bharat sleeper trainset, formerly known as Train-20 is a semi-high-speed, long-distance electric multiple unit (EMU) train, designed to replace the Rajdhani Express. It is being developed based on the existing short-distance Vande Bharat trainset, differing in exterior body, sleeping berths, and onboard amenities due to its long-distance service.

This train was earlier planned to have featured two distinctive classes, the air-conditioned chair car and sleeper car. The sleeper cars would have included AC first class, AC two-tier and AC three-tier sub-classes.[2][3] However, these plans were shelved after the tenders were red flagged.[citation needed] A series of fresh tenders were launched in 2022 and the contracts for which were awarded in 2023.

Following the renaming of Train-18 as Vande Bharat Express, any mentions of Train-20 were stopped. It is currently known as the Vande Bharat Sleeper.[4] The first prototype was launched in September 2024 and would start its operation after 3 months.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

  1. ^ "Vande Bharat Sleeper Coach Prototype Unveiled: Check photos, features, speed of new train for aam aadmi, better than Rajdhani". Economic Times. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Accommodation Classes in Indian Railways". Indian Railways. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Indian railways to unleash world-class semi-speed trains by 2020". The Better India. 13 October 2017.
  4. ^ Dipak K Dash (27 April 2022). "Railways invites bids for 200 Vande Bharat trains with sleeper coaches for long-distance travel". The Times of India. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Vande Bharat Sleeper Train: From features to technology to speed, everything we know about latest addition to Vande Bharat portfolio". Zee Business. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Vande Bharat Sleeper Train: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav Takes A Tour Of The Prototype; Watch Video". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw unveils prototype version of Vande Bharat sleeper coach". The Telegraph online. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Faster than Rajdhani, Vande Bharat sleeper trains to be rolled out by 2025". Hindustan Times. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  9. ^ "MCF to roll out sleeper coaches for Vande Bharat". The Times of India. 2 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Vande Bharat sleeper coach debuts, Railway Minister shares rollout timeline". India Today. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.