Vande Bharat sleeper trains with 180 km peak speed to hit the tracks soon
03 Jan 2025
India Railways is all set to make train travel faster and safer for long-distance passengers as well with the successful trials of Vande Bharat sleeper trains.
According to a railway ministry release, the Vande Bharat sleeper train attained a peak speed of 180 km per hour in multiple trials during the last three days. Trials are scheduled for the entire month after which these trains will be introduced for long distance travel.
The video of a successful trial in Kota Division, shared by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on X, shows a near-full glass of water close to a mobile phone placed on a plain surface inside the speeding Vande Bharat sleeper train. The water level remains unaffected while the train runs at a speed of 180 km per hour, showing jerk-free motion of the train.
The railway ministry said the three-day trials in the Kota division continued till 2 January 2025, when a fully-loaded Vande Bharat sleeper train hit the top speed of 180 km per hour.
On Thursday, during trial runs on a 30 km stretch between Kota and Laban in Bundi district and a 40 km stretch between Rohal Khurd and Kota in Rajasthan, the train achieved a peak speed of 180 km per hour, while during trials on the Kota-Nagda and Rohal Khurd-Chau Mahla sections, the train achieved peak speeds of 170 km/hr and 160 km/hr, respectively.
These trials, being carried out by the RDSO, Lucknow, will continue for the whole of this month, the railways stated.
On completion of the trials, the Railway Safety Commissioner will evaluate the train at its maximum speed before certifying it for safety. The train will then be ready for induction and start of regular service.
The Vande Bharat sleeper trains, with its aircraft-like design, features automatic doors, ultra comfortable berths, onboard WiFi and reclining seats.
The trains once introduced on longer routes like Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Delhi to Mumbai, Howrah to Chennai, will be a big relief to passengers on these routes.
The top speed the railways currently run trains is 90 km per hour for the Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express. The maximum permissible speed is 140 per km.
