India’s upcoming 24-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper train has reached an important stage of development, with the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai targeting November 10, 2026, to finalise its design. According to a senior railway official, the train’s prototype is expected to be ready by May or June 2027. Once completed, the prototype will undergo a series of trials to assess its performance and readiness for service. Production of the remaining trainsets is expected to follow after the prototype successfully clears the required testing stages. The project is part of Indian Railways’ broader effort to expand modern overnight train services and improve passenger comfort on long-distance routes. The proposed sleeper version is being developed with a larger coach configuration, offering more berths than the 16-coach trains planned under an earlier manufacturing programme.

24-Coach Configuration and Manufacturing Plans
The proposed 24-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper train is designed to include three classes of accommodation. According to the configuration outlined in the project specifications, it will have 19 AC three-tier coaches offering 1,215 berths, four AC two-tier coaches with 192 berths and one First AC coach providing 24 berths. The Integral Coach Factory released technical specifications and standards for Vande Bharat trains in April 2022. During 2023-24, the Railway Ministry announced plans to manufacture 10 sleeper trainsets in a 16-coach configuration in collaboration with ICF and BEML. It also envisaged manufacturing 50 trainsets in the 24-coach configuration at ICF Chennai. To support the larger project, the ministry placed orders for propulsion equipment for 50 trainsets with Medha and Alstom on December 17, 2024. Medha is expected to supply equipment for 33 trainsets, while Alstom will provide systems for the remaining 17. The ministry subsequently indicated that full-scale production of the 24-coach sleeper trains was planned for the 2026-27 financial year.

Progress on Other Vande Bharat Sleeper Projects
Alongside the 24-coach programme, work is progressing on the 16-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper trains. Of the 10 trainsets announced under this initiative, one pair entered service on the Howrah-Kamakhya route in January 2026, according to the information provided. Two additional pairs are reported to be ready for launch, although their routes have not yet been finalised. The remaining trainsets are at different stages of manufacturing at BEML. Other projects are also expected to expand the sleeper fleet. Kinet Railway Solutions, an Indo-Russian joint venture involving Rail Vikas Nigam Limited and Transmashholding, is expected to manufacture 120 16-coach sleeper trainsets at its facility in Marathwada, Maharashtra, by the end of 2027. Separately, the BHEL-Titagarh consortium is slated to produce 80 more 16-coach trainsets. Together, these initiatives reflect Indian Railways’ push to expand its modern sleeper-train network, although manufacturing schedules and commissioning dates remain subject to project progress and technical trials.ccommodation. According to the configuration outlined