Indian Railways to begin production of Fifty 24-Car Vande Bharat Sleeper Trainsets

Chennai, India (Rail & Metro Today): The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai is set to begin production of 24-car Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets, marking a major expansion of India's indigenous long-distance sleeper train programme. The production drawings for the new trainsets have been completed, and ICF plans to manufacture 50 such trainsets.

ICF General Manager Manish Agarwal confirmed the development during the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the M Arun Sports Complex (ICF Stadium), stating that production of the 24-car trainsets would commence shortly.

Production Drawings Completed for 24-Car Trainset

According to Agarwal, ICF has completed detailed production drawings covering the coach structure, structural and fabrication assemblies, coach-to-coach interfaces and underframe equipment layouts.

“Production drawings for structural and fabrication assemblies, coach-to-coach interfaces and underframe equipment layouts have been prepared for the indigenous 24-car Vande Bharat Sleeper trainset to be produced shortly,” Agarwal said.

The longer trainsets are expected to provide substantially higher seating capacity than the existing 16-car Vande Bharat Sleeper configuration and strengthen the deployment of sleeper-class Vande Bharat services on longer-distance routes.

Vande Bharat Sleeper Programme Expands

At present, one Vande Bharat Sleeper train is operational, serving the Howrah–Kamakhya route. The existing trainset comprises 16 coaches, including 11 Third AC, four Second AC and one First AC coach.

The planned production of 50 24-car trainsets is expected to significantly expand the availability of sleeper-configured Vande Bharat trains across the Indian Railways network.

The initiative also represents another step in the evolution of the Vande Bharat platform from a semi-high-speed daytime passenger train into a broader family of indigenous trainsets designed for different passenger and freight applications.

ICF Develops Vande Bharat-Based Freight EMU

Agarwal also highlighted ICF's development of a Vande Bharat-based Freight Electric Multiple Unit (Freight EMU), extending indigenous trainset technology beyond passenger transportation.

The freight trainsets have attracted interest from stakeholders and could be particularly useful for transporting time-sensitive and high-value cargo, including white goods.

The development is aimed at improving freight transportation by combining faster trainset technology with dedicated cargo capacity.

Amrit Bharat Version 3.0 Also Under Development

ICF is also working on the next generation of Amrit Bharat Version 3.0 trains.

According to Agarwal, the new-generation trains will feature AC, general and sleeper-class coaches, offering passengers a combination of affordability and improved comfort. The existing Amrit Bharat trains primarily feature general and sleeper-class accommodation.

The expansion of the Amrit Bharat platform is expected to complement Vande Bharat services by providing a more economical long-distance travel option.

ICF Expands Indigenous Railway Technology

ICF has also recently developed the country's first 15-car EMU rake for Mumbai suburban services and non-AC EMU coaches equipped with automatic sliding doors aimed at improving passenger safety.

The factory has further undertaken upgrades to the interiors of Kolkata Metro coaches, incorporating improved aluminium panelling, ceilings and single-piece sidewall panels along with enhanced safety features.

With developments spanning high-speed passenger trains, sleeper trainsets, freight EMUs, suburban trains and metro coaches, ICF is increasingly expanding its role in India's indigenous rolling stock manufacturing ecosystem.

The upcoming production of 50 24-car Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets is expected to further strengthen the country's capacity to manufacture long-distance, high-capacity semi-high-speed trains domestically.