Vande Bharat Sleeper coaches being built with Russian tech delayed; indigenous on way
By Arun Kumar Das
New Delhi, Sep 18 (BVI): The sleeper coaches for Vande Bharat trains being manufactured indigenously in Chennai are set for inaugural run shortly even as the project of manufacturing the coaches with Russian technology is facing delay due to the sanctions imposed by the US and some other Western countries.
The state-run BEML, in partnership with Integrated Coach Factory (ICF), is mandated to manufacture 10 Vande Bharat Sleeper trains while the Russian technology partner of Indian Railways is supposed to manufacture 120 such trains.
Currently, ICF has rolled out one Vande Bharat Sleeper and another is nearing completion.
According to a senior Railway Ministry official involved with Vande Bharat Sleeper train, the trial of ICF-made first Vande Bharat Sleeper is going on and the second one is expected for trial run by this month-end.
After trial and safety clearances, the 16-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper will be pressed into service for night long journey.
Asked about the Russian Vande Bharat train, the official categorically said it is being delayed and now the prototype is slated to come by the end of 2026 or early 2027 and not before that.
He further said there are various reasons for the delay.
He, however, said that all 10 Vande Bharat Sleeper trains manufactured at ICF will be rolled out by March 31, 2026.
The Russian-Indian joint venture, Kinet Railway Solutions (a consortium of Russia’s Transmashholding (TMH) and India’s Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL)), secured a contract from Indian Railways in March 2023 to manufacture and maintain 120 Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets.
The Indo-Russian JV has also set up a manufacturing facility in Latur to produce these trains under the “Make in India” initiative.
However, Indian Railways has restructured the joint venture, Kinet Railway Solutions, to produce Vande Bharat sleeper trains by reducing the majority stake of sanctioned Russian firms and increasing the share of non-sanctioned Locomotive Electronics Systems (LES).
The move was intended to ensure the continued supply of European components and reduce risks associated with sanctions, which threatened the project’s progress.
When contacted, Kinet Railway Solutions spokesperson said, “Kinet is executing the Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains project in full accordance with its agreement with Indian Railways.
“Operational activities at the Latur site began in September 2024. The factory is now in the final stages of upgrading. It features 11 specialized workshops, 8.6 km of internal track. The first Vande Bharat Sleeper Train prototype is planned to be completed in 2026.”
The spokesperson further said “In addition to upgrading the production facilities, the contract includes constructing and equipping three service depots for rolling stock. Construction of the depot in Jodhpur, Rajasthan has already begun.
