Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Big Update: 50 New 24-Coach Trains to Be Built at Chennai ICF; More Routes Likely

There is a major update for passengers waiting for more Vande Bharat Sleeper trains on long-distance routes. Preparations are underway at Chennai's Integral Coach Factory (ICF) to manufacture new Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets.

Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Big Update: 50 New 24-Coach Trainsets to Be Built in Chennai

Around 50 trainsets, each consisting of 24 coaches, are planned to be manufactured at the factory. The production will support Indian Railways' plan to expand Vande Bharat Sleeper services to more routes across the country. At present, the country has one operational Vande Bharat Sleeper service, running between Howrah and Kamakhya.

More sleeper services are expected to be introduced as additional trainsets become available.

The production of the new 24-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper trains is set to move ahead at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The drawings include the coach structure, the system used to connect two coaches and the designs for equipment installed underneath the coaches.

With these technical designs ready, the production framework for the 24-coach trainsets has been established. Manufacturing of the new trainsets is expected to begin soon.

50 New Vande Bharat Sleeper Trainsets Planned

ICF has been assigned the task of manufacturing 50 Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets. Each upcoming trainset will have 24 coaches, making them longer than the 16-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper configuration currently in operation. The larger trainsets are expected to increase passenger capacity and support the expansion of sleeper services on busy long-distance routes.

However, the exact composition of the 24 coaches has not yet been disclosed. Details on how many coaches will be allocated to First AC, Second AC, Third AC and sleeper categories are awaited.

24-Coach Vande Bharat Sleeper Can Carry More Passengers

The planned 24-coach configuration is expected to provide substantially higher passenger capacity. Compared with a 16-coach train, a 24-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper train can accommodate around 1.5 times more passengers.

The increase in capacity could benefit passengers on heavily travelled long-distance routes. It could allow Indian Railways to accommodate more passengers in each service as the Vande Bharat Sleeper network expands.

Howrah-Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper: Current Coach

India currently has one operational Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Howrah and Kamakhya. The existing train has 16 coaches. Its composition includes 11 Third AC coaches, four Second AC coaches and one First AC coach. The upcoming 24-coach trainsets will have a larger capacity. However, Indian Railways has not yet announced the final coach composition for these new trainsets.

More Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains Expected on Other Routes

The production of additional trainsets is an important step towards expanding Vande Bharat Sleeper services across India. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has previously indicated that the number of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will be increased. Manufacturing more trainsets will allow the Railways to consider introducing sleeper services on additional long-distance routes.

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