Indian Railways is significantly upgrading overnight train travel across the country by planning to deploy a massive fleet of 260 Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets. These upcoming trains are engineered for a design speed of 180 kilometers per hour and will operate at a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour. Passengers can expect world-class amenities including aircraft-style bio-vacuum toilets, showers in AC First Class, robust CCTV surveillance, modular pantry units, and the indigenous KAVACH anti-collision system for enhanced safety.
The manufacturing responsibility is distributed among multiple key players to ensure timely delivery.
Kinet Railway Solutions, which is a joint venture between Rail Vikas Nigam Limited and the Russian firm Transmashholding, will produce
120 trainsets at the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur. During the company annual general meeting, RVNL Chairman and Managing Director Saleem Ahmad confirmed that the prototype from Latur is scheduled to
roll out by March 31, 2027. Meanwhile,
BEML is manufacturing the first 10 trains as 16-car rakes, and the
Integral Coach Factory in Chennai is preparing 50 units in 24-coach configurations. Additionally, a consortium of
Titagarh Rail Systems Limited and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited will deliver 80 trainsets by 2029.
Recent Schedule Adjustments and Stoppages
In other operational updates, Indian Railways has revised timings for existing services. Effective
September 2, 2026, the departure times for the
Varanasi-Ranchi Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 20888) and the
Varanasi-Deoghar Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 22500) from Varanasi were shifted
10 minutes earlier. Furthermore, the Ministry of Railways approved an experimental stoppage for the
Jammu Tawi-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express at Anantnag railway station, which is expected to begin operations by
late September 2026 pending final security clearance.
