The new year is set to bring faster and safer rail travel to commuters across India. After successfully providing world-class, high-speed travel experiences on short and medium-distance chair car trains, Indian Railways is now making it a reality for long-distance travel as well with the introduction of the Vande Bharat sleeper train.

Achieving a peak speed of 180 km per hour, the Vande Bharat sleeper train has successfully completed multiple trial runs over the past few days. These trials will continue until the end of January, after which this state-of-the-art long-distance travel service will be available to passengers across the country.

Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, shared a video on social media of a successful trial run in the Kota Division, showcasing the train’s impressive speed. The video demonstrates a nearly full glass of water and a mobile phone placed on a flat surface inside the train, remaining perfectly still as the train reaches a steady peak speed of 180 km per hour, highlighting the comfort of high-speed travel.

The most recent trials took place in Rajasthan, where the train achieved a peak speed of 180 km per hour during a 30 km run between Kota and Laban in Bundi district. A day earlier, during a 40 km run between Rohal Khurd and Kota, the train reached the same speed. Other sections, such as Kota-Nagda and Rohal Khurd-Chau Mahla, saw speeds of 170 km/h and 160 km/h, respectively. These trials will continue under the supervision of RDSO, Lucknow, until their completion later this month.

Once the trials are finished, the Railway Safety Commissioner will evaluate the train at its maximum speed. Following approval, the Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be officially certified for induction into regular service.

Designed with features like automatic doors, ultra-comfortable berths, onboard WiFi, and an aircraft-like design, these sleeper trains promise a world-class experience for long-distance travel. Passengers will benefit from reduced travel times, as the Vande Bharat sleeper trains are capable of speeds significantly higher than the current average of 90 km/h for Mumbai-Delhi routes. With these trials, rail passengers can look forward to traveling on routes like Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Delhi to Mumbai, and Howrah to Chennai in record time.

The Vande Bharat Express, India’s fastest train, is already operational on several Shatabdi routes and offers a luxurious travel experience. These trains seamlessly combine speed and comfort, making them a prime example of modern Indian engineering.

Source/PIB