Vande Bharat sleeper trains' rollout delayed as designs await approval

New Delhi: The rollout of 120 Vande Bharat sleeper trains by Kinet Railway Solutions, an Indo-Russian joint venture, has been delayed, as the train designs are yet to be finalised, prompting the Indian Railways to tap its own manufacturing units for these next generation sleeper coaches, officials said.

A German consultant tasked with submitting designs to Kinet Railway Solutions is yet to furnish the approved designs, they said. Kinet told ET that the prototype for the Vande Sleeper trains will be ready by 2026-end, marking a delay of more than two years.

"We do not comment on our contractual relationships with individual suppliers or the commercial terms of those relationships," Kinet Press Service said in response to email queries, adding more than 100 suppliers are engaged in the project, including engineering and design.


"All suppliers are working in accordance with the approved plan, and the design of the Vande Bharat sleeper train sets has been developed and integrated by Kinet," the company said. "The project is progressing in line with the agreed schedule." Of the 200 Vande Sleeper trains bid out in 2023, 80 were awarded to a consortium of Titagarh Rail Solutions Ltd (TRSL), and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL).