Further Delay in Project to Manufacture Vande Bharat Sleeper Train with Russian Technology
By Arun Kumar Das
New Delhi, Jun 9: Introduction of Vande Bharat Sleeper Train using Russian technology is further delayed as the first prototype is expected to roll out in December this year, missing the earlier target of June 2026.
The contract to manufacture 120 Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains has been given to Kinet Railway Solutions, a Joint Venture between Russian rolling stock major TMH and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, the PSU of Indian Railways.
Under the contract, worth Rs 14,400 crore, Kinet has to manufacture Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains which will have 16 coaches.
With 120 trainsets planned, the project will involve production of 1,920 coaches in all.
Kinet has missed the target earlier also.
However, RVNL-Kinet Joint Venture is hopeful of meeting the revised target of December 2026 for the first prototype.
“We are hopeful that the first prototype of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train will be out in December 2026,” said a senior RVNL official.
The Railways awarded the contract to manufacture Vande Bharat Sleeper trains to three companies: BEML, Kinet Railway Solutions and a consortium of Titagarh Rail Systems Limited and Bharat Heavy Engineering Limited (BHEL).
The Howrah-Kamakhya-Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper train which was launched in January 2026 was developed by BEML using Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF) technology. (BVI)
