New Delhi, Feb 4 A plan to manufacture 260 rakes of Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets has been firmed up for Indian Railways, and these will be inducted into regular passenger service in a phased manner based on demand and operational readiness, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday.
The Vande Bharat Sleeper Train manufacturing programme is being executed in a phased manner through prototype development, trials and series production by BEML & Integral Coach Factory, Chennai and technology partners, the minister said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha
The process of development of new rolling stock like Vande Bharat Sleeper coaches necessitates a holistic approach, combining technological innovation, strategic planning and manufacturing to ensure a safe, reliable and comfortable travel. This involves development of a prototype, extensive testing, and trials followed by series production, he added.
To improve the travel experience of the passengers and set new benchmarks in terms of safe and comfortable journeys, these train sets have been provided with modern coaches having advanced safety features and passenger amenities. These include jerk-free semi-permanent couplers and anti-climbers fitted with KAVACH, higher acceleration with an operating speed of 160 KMPH and a crashworthy design of car body complying with EN standards.
Fire barrier doors at the end of each coach for compliance with fire safety standards, improved fire safety – an aerosol-based fire detection and suppression system in electrical cabinets and lavatories, and a regenerative braking system for energy efficiency are among the other safety features for these trains.
Besides, the coaches will be fitted with air conditioning units provided with an indigenously developed UV-C lamp-based disinfection system for deactivating 99 per cent harmful bacteria from conditioned air to improve the hygiene standards inside the passenger area, and there will be centrally controlled automatic plug doors and fully sealed wider gangways.
Ergonomically designed ladders for ease of climbing onto upper berths, CCTVs in all coaches, as well as an emergency talk-back unit for communication between passenger and train manager/loco pilot, will also be provided in these trains, the minister added.
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