Latur: Passengers eagerly awaiting the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat Express will have to wait a few more months, as full-scale production is yet to begin at the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur. The coach factory recently received the car body, the structural shell, from a company based in Chennai. The shell will undergo rigorous checks and inspections at multiple levels before the actual production of the sleeper coaches begins.
When Can We Expect Roll Out?
As per the agreement between the Indian Railways Board and the private company Kinet, the coaches will be assembled in phases. The first complete sleeper rake of Vande Bharat is expected to roll out by June 2026, reported Marathi news portal E-Sakal.
The Marathwada Rail Coach Factory, spread over 351 acres in Latur, is a state-of-the-art facility. It employs around 10,000 workers and houses modern workshops for car body assembly, bogie fitting, painting, testing and warehousing. The factory is equipped with 11 advanced assembly stations and has an internal track network of 8.6 kilometres to aid the movement and testing of the manufactured coaches.
According to Abhishek Mishra, Public Relations Officer of the Latur factory, all required systems for producing Vande Bharat sleeper coaches are in place. The recently received car body will now go through prototype testing at various levels before full production begins.
The initial phase of the project will see the manufacture of two rakes (total 32 coaches). Eventually, the factory aims to produce 1,920 sleeper coaches in a phased manner. These coaches will be maintained and serviced at facilities in Bengaluru, Delhi and Jodhpur.
Features Of Vande Bharat Sleeper Express
The upcoming Vande Bharat Sleeper Express will consist of 16 coaches and is designed for speeds up to 160 km/h. It will have a total passenger capacity of 823. Each coach will feature three toilets and a small pantry to ensure onboard comfort. The cost of manufacturing a single sleeper rake is estimated at Rs 120 crore.
As the Latur plant ramps up preparations, the Vande Bharat sleeper trains are expected to bring a new level of comfort and speed to long-distance rail travel in India, though passengers will need to wait a bit longer for their first ride.
