NEW DELHI: The first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train is set to be launched later this month on the Kolkata–Guwahati route, with the Railways planning to roll out 200 such trains in the coming years, including 12 by the end of 2026.
Announcing the completion of safety certification for the inaugural sleeper set on New Year’s Day, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that eight sleeper trains would be delivered over the next six months, with a total of 12 to be commissioned by December 2026.
Vaishnaw also said that India’s first bullet train was expected to be launched on August 15, 2027.
Fares for the Vande Bharat Sleeper, which will operate six days a week between Kolkata and Guwahati, will be substantially lower than air fares on the same sector. The minister said the third AC fare would be Rs 2,300, second AC Rs 3,000 and first AC Rs 3,600, compared to average airline fares of Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 between the two cities.
Asked about the choice of route, linking election-bound West Bengal and Assam, Vaishnaw said that the decision was guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Purvodaya (rising east) policy”, under which record investments have been made to strengthen infrastructure in eastern and north-eastern India.
The 16-coach, indigenously built train will carry 823 passengers and cover a distance of around 1,500 km.
“The design of the train’s suspension is at a whole new level. A full year was invested in ensuring the best bogey and suspension design. Berths and ladders in the new train also have a new design and train speed will be 180 kmph. Automatic doors, air disinfection and the best air conditioning have been ensured, as in Vande Bharat chair cars,” Vaishnaw said.
He said Prime Minister Modi would flag off the train on January 17 or 18.
In other remarks, Vaishnaw said Indian Railways had set an export target of Rs 60,000 crore by 2030, with strong global demand for Vande Bharat trains.
“Today we have 70 suppliers of Vande Bharat trains, as against four when we started. The target is to also ensure entire propulsion production at home,” he said.
Vaishnaw also said the Railways was piloting a new project using AI-enabled cameras to detect elephant movement near railway tracks. The system is expected to provide more precise and timely alerts to prevent accidents.
Currently, the Railways uses fibre-optic sensing technology to monitor elephant movement close to tracks. The introduction of AI cameras, he said, would further enhance detection capabilities and improve safety outcomes.