Vande Bharat Sleeper Coach Design: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnau unveiled the body structure of the Vande Bharat sleeper coach at the Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) facility in Bengaluru. According to the minister, Vande Bharat trains will have three versions – chair car, sleeper car and metro.
While the chair car version has already been launched and is very popular, the first body of the Vande Bharat sleeper car has been completed.
„The interior work will now be carried out. Manufacturing the car body is the most difficult task. Today we will discuss how to scale it up further,“ Vaishnow was quoted as saying by PTI.
„We will test the first formation for five to six months, after which it will be put into service for the first time. The sleeper train will be based on the same technology as the chair car, so it will be jerk-free, noiseless, quick acceleration and deceleration, etc.,“ he said. added.
The interior of the Vande Sleeper has begun! pic.twitter.com/itYaSQyNG2
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (मोदी का परिवार) (@AshwiniVaishnaw) March 9, 2024
The Railway Minister said special attention is being paid to passenger comfort on sleeper trains.
“The foot of the ladder for boarding the train has been improved to make it easier for passengers to board the train.The toilets have a new design and the air conditioning has improved controls.The seat cushions have also been improved with new technology. „Oxygen levels will be maintained at 99.99 percent. „The virus will be eliminated.“
According to him, this new generation of trains will be safer than the mail and express trains currently in operation.
“In other developed countries, the manufacturing cost of a single bus with similar amenities would be around Rs 10,000 crore.However, the manufacturing cost of one sleeper coach in Vande Bharat would be around Rs 8,000 crore to Rs 9,000 crore. „This is because a lot of the work is done in-house. We have our own people and technology,“ Vaishnau said.
BEML is under the Ministry of Defense and manufactures products for various sectors such as defence, aerospace, mining, construction, railways and metros. The company has also received an order to manufacture 10 Vande Bharat Sleeper trains (160 coaches).
BEML CMD Shri Shantanu Roy said, “We are delighted to be a part of building this milestone which will promote comfort and world-class facilities while minimizing travel time. Our production is running at full capacity. „The entire manufacturing and assembly process is taking place.“ At BEML, we emphasize our commitment to quality and precision with our team of professional engineers and staff. ”
According to a BEML press statement, these sleeper trains offer world-class facilities and best-in-class interiors, setting new standards in passenger comfort and convenience.
„This is a significant milestone as India embarks on the journey of introducing sleeper variants within the acclaimed Vande Bharat platform,“ it said.
BEML officials said Chennai's Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has received an order to design, manufacture and commission 10 rakes (16 each) of the Vande Bharat sleeper version in May 2023.
„These trains will undergo the necessary modifications to seamlessly transition from chair to sleeper cars, ensuring crash safety and compliance with fire protection requirements,“ the press statement said.