Indian Railways officially unveiled the design of the long-awaited Vande Bharat Sleeper express train on Tuesday, promising overnight travel at speeds up to 160 km/h with significantly improved comfort. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw showcased the prototype at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The train features ergonomic sleeping berths with personal reading lights, charging ports at every berth, glass roof panels in select coaches, and a modular bio-vacuum toilet system.
The first Vande Bharat Sleeper rake is expected to enter service on the Delhi-Mumbai route by December 2025, with a second set for the Delhi-Howrah corridor by early 2026. The train will carry 823 passengers across 16 coaches and will slash journey times by two to three hours compared to existing overnight express trains. Railways officials said the fare structure will be competitive with existing AC-class tickets on Rajdhani Express services.