Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed the prototype of the sleeper coach for the Vande Bharat Express on Sunday at the BEML factory. Speaking to reporters, Vaishnaw stated that the coach would undergo rigorous testing for 10 days before being tested on tracks. The train is expected to begin operations within the next three months. "After the Vande Bharat Chair Car, we have now completed the construction of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Car," Vaishnaw said. The newly built coaches will be moved out of the BEML facility for testing, with mass production set to begin once the prototype passes these tests. "We plan to start the production series in a year and a half, after which two to three trains will be rolled out each month," he added.
The minister highlighted the complexity involved in designing a new train, noting that several new features have been incorporated into the Vande Bharat Sleeper Car. "We are continuously refining the Vande Bharat train design based on our experiences. The same approach will be applied to the Vande Bharat Metro as well," Vaishnaw said.
The Indian Railways is currently working on four different configurations: Vande Bharat Chair Car, Vande Bharat Sleeper Car, Vande Bharat Metro Car, and Amrut Bharat, all of which are set to transform the travel experience. The 16-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper train is designed for overnight journeys, covering distances between 800 km and 1,200 km.
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Additional features in the train include systems to monitor oxygen levels and protect against viruses, innovations inspired by lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic. "This will be a train catering to the middle class, with fares comparable to those of the Rajdhani Express," Vaishnaw said. Addressing concerns about the quality of food served on Vande Bharat trains, the minister noted that while Indian Railways serves 1.3 million meal packets daily, complaints are less than 0.01 percent. "Nonetheless, we take these complaints seriously and have imposed strict actions against the caterers and suppliers involved," he assured. During the visit, Vaishnaw also laid the foundation stone for the Vande Bharat Manufacturing Plant at the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) complex.