Vande Bharat sleeper train achieves speed of 180 km/hour during trial runs

New Year 2025 has brought a significant leap in the evolution of Indian rail travel as the Indian Railways prepares to roll out worldclass travel experiences on longdistance routes with the launch of Vande Bharat sleeper trains after delivering faster and safer travel for short and mediumdistance commuters via its chair car trainsIn a groundbreaking move the Vande Bharat sleeper trains have achieved a peak speed of 180 kmhour during successful trials conducted over the past few daysThe trials which began in late December are set to continue through January with the goal of making this highspeed worldclass experience available to longdistance commuters across the country the Railway Ministry informedOn Thursday the Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw took to social media platform X formerly Twitter to share a video of a successful trial in the Kota Division The video demonstrated the stability and comfort of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train at peak speed The footage featured a nearly full glass of water placed next to a mobile phone on a flat surface inside the train showing the water level remained unchanged as the train reached a steady speed of 180 kmh underlining the smooth and comfortable ride of the highspeed trainVande Bharat Sleeper testing at 180 kmph pictwittercomruVaR3NNOtmdash Ashwini Vaishnaw AshwiniVaishnaw January 2 2025On Wednesday the Vande Bharat sleeper train reached 180 kmh during a 40kilometrelong test run between Rohal Khurd and Kota A day later on a 30kilometre stretch between Kota and Laban in Bundi district of Rajasthan the train once again achieved the same peak speed In addition during these trials the train also reached speeds of 170 kmh and 160 kmh on the KotaNagda and Rohal KhurdChau Mahla sectionsThe trials were conducted under the supervision of the Research Designs and Standards Organisation RDSO Lucknow Once completed the trains will undergo a final evaluation by the Railway Safety Commissioner at their maximum speed After passing this crucial stage the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will be officially certified and handed over to Indian Railways for induction into regular serviceDesigned with modern amenities to ensure comfort the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will offer features such as automatic doors ultracomfortable berths onboard WiFi and an aircraftlike design Passengers will enjoy a luxury travel experience reminiscent of air travel making longdistance journeys far more enjoyable and efficient the ministry saidCurrently 136 Vande Bharat Express trains operate across India on short and mediumdistance routes connecting major cities such as Delhi Varanasi and othersThese trains have been lauded for providing a seamless blend of speed and luxury with a maximum speed of 180 kmh making them Indias fastest trainsThe new Vande Bharat Sleeper trains represent the next step in this evolution the ministry said With their added berths and the ability to handle full passenger and luggage load conditions these trains will deliver the same level of luxury as the existing chair car versions but tailored for longer trips This is particularly important as the railways endeavours to create a more comfortable faster and efficient solution for longdistance travel including popular routes such as Kashmir to Kanyakumari Delhi to Mumbai and Howrah to ChennaiThe introduction of the Vande Bharat sleeper trains will thus have a significant impact on travel times across longdistance routes For example the current average speed of the MumbaiDelhi route is 90 kmh with the fastest service mdash the Tejas Rajdhani Express mdash operating at a maximum permissible speed of 140 kmhOnce the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are operational these routes will experience a substantial reduction in travel time bringing India closer to the global standard of highspeed rail travel the ministry informedWith a focus on both speed and passenger experience these trains will contribute significantly to Indias push towards modernising its railway infrastructure and providing a highquality sustainable alternative to air travel it further added