Mumbai-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Completes Trial Run; Railway board to decode its deployment route
Mumbai-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Completes Trial Run; Railway board to decode its deployment route
The Vande Bharat sleeper train successfully finished its trial run between Mumbai Central and Ahmedabad on Wednesday, with the railway board set to determine the route for its deployment. During the trial run at a speed of 130 km/hr, the train arrived at Mumbai Central at 1:50 PM after departing from Ahmedabad at 7:29 AM, and it then left for Ahmedabad from Mumbai Central at 2:45 PM. According to reports, the final certificate will be issued by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) after a thorough analysis.
The RDSO is overseeing these trials, and the train will be assessed by the railway safety commissioner at its highest speed. The Vande Bharat sleeper trains will only receive official certification and be handed over to Indian Railways for regular operations after successfully passing the final evaluation.
The Vande Bharat sleeper train has successfully reached a maximum speed of 180 km/h during several trials over the past three days. A certification will be granted next week, after which the railway board will make the final call regarding its operational routes and services.
In the recent trials, the sleeper train achieved a peak speed of 180 km/h on January 2 during a 30-km journey between Kota and Laban in Rajasthan’s Bundi district. It also hit 180 km/h on January 1 over a 40-km distance between Rohal Khurd and Kota, with speeds of 170 km/h and 160 km/h recorded on the Kota-Nagda and Rohal Khurd-Chau Mahla routes, respectively.
The train consists of 16 coaches, including 11 AC-3 tier coaches, 4 AC-2 tier coaches, and 1 First AC coach. These coaches come with modern amenities such as dedicated charging ports for Type A and C devices, foldable snack tables, an integrated lighting system, and facilities for laptop charging. The First AC coach accommodates 24 seats, while each of the Second AC coaches has 48 seats.
Among the Third AC coaches, five have 67 seats each, while four have 55 seats each. To enhance passenger comfort, the train includes a combined gangway for easy movement, dog boxes at both ends, sufficient linen storage, and 38 special seats designated for attendants. Additionally, every coach meets HL3 standards for fire safety and includes Braille navigation to assist passengers with visual impairments.
