PM Modi to launch first Vande Bharat sleeper this month

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announces first Vande Bharat sleeper train from Guwahati to Kolkata. (Express Photo)

India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train will run between Kolkata (Howrah) and Guwahati (Kamakhya), traversing nine districts of West Bengal and Assam, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the service by January 20, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Thursday.

Vaishnaw also said that the first section of India’s first bullet train project — Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail — from Surat to Bilimora in Gujarat will be ready by August 15, 2027. The entire project is expected to be completed by December 2029, he said. Referring to the Vande Bharat sleeper service, Vaishnaw said, “It is a big milestone for the country. This year will be the year of reforms for the Indian Railways and Vande Bharat sleeper trains have the imprints of it. We got confidence from the Vande Bharat Chair Car train and implemented the learning in this. It is just the beginning,” Vaishnaw said.

Responding to a query on the inaugural route connecting two states bound for Assembly elections this year, the Union Minister said, “The decision was taken while keeping in mind the Purvodaya initiatives of the Government for the holistic development of the Northeast. Railways is making a conscious effort to extend the network with premium services to the region.”

The train will cover 10 stops across the nine districts of Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Bardhaman, Murshidabad, Malda, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar in West Bengal, and Kamrup metropolitan and Bongaigaon in Assam. These will be overnight trains, starting in the late evening and ending in the morning, with 16 coaches, including 11 3AC, four 2AC and one 1AC.

“We wanted to keep the fare substantially lower than the flight. So, the fare for 3 tier will be Rs 2300, Rs 3000 for 2tier and Rs 3600 for 1Ac. There will be no dynamic pricing in the train. The train running from Guwahati will have Assamese (cuisine) and the train running from Kolkata will serve Bangla food,” Vaishnaw said.

He said that a total of eight Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be rolled out in the next six months and 12 will be ready by the end of the year. In all, a total of 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains have been planned to be manufactured over the years, he said. “A train has three most important systems — bogie, propulsion system and vehicle control. All these three things were designed in India. So it’s completely a made-in-India train. We are hoping to achieve perfection in this by 2029. After that, we will be in a position to export it. The total cost per coach of this train is Rs 8-8.5 crore, which is lower than a metro coach, which usually is Rs 10-10.5 crore,” said Vaishnaw, while listing the Railways’ export goals.

The total passenger capacity of the Kolkata-Guwahati Vande Bharat sleeper is 823, with 611 in 3AC, 188 in 2AC and 24 in 1AC. The train can travel at a speed of 180 kmph but will only run upto 130 kmph for this service due to safety reasons.

Other features include ergonomically designed berths with improved cushioning, automatic doors with vestibules for smooth movement, enhanced ride comfort with superior suspension and noise reduction.

The train is built with the automatic train protection system, Kavach, and emergency talk-back system. It has disinfectant technology to maintain sanitation, a driver cab with advanced controls and aerodynamic exterior, and automatic exterior passenger doors.

The train completed its final high-speed trial under the supervision of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) on December 30, 2025. The approval of CRS, a railway safety body, is a prerequisite condition before the operation of a new train.

The trial was conducted on the Kota-Nagda section, during which the train achieved a maximum speed of 180 kmph, and technical evaluations such as ride stability, oscillation, vibration behaviour, braking performance, etc., were carried out.