Two Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets in Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna station Bengaluru for commissioning, trial runs
Two trainsets of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express have arrived in Bengaluru and will soon undergo commissioning and trial runs before being inducted into commercial
Two trainsets of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express have arrived in Bengaluru and will soon undergo commissioning and trial runs before being inducted into commercial service, Railway officials said. The trainsets, manufactured by BEML, were recently brought to the coaching line at the Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Bengaluru Railway Station, where they are currently stationed on the pit line for pre-service inspections and testing. The Railway officials said the routes on which the trains would eventually operate are yet to be finalised. Officials explained that the commissioning process involves a series of mandatory technical inspections and safety checks before a new train is introduced into passenger service. “During this phase, railway engineers test the train’s mechanical and electrical systems, braking performance, onboard equipment, communication systems, safety features and overall operational reliability to ensure the rake complies with all prescribed standards,” the officials added.
Bengaluru-Mumbai sleeper? The arrival of the sleeper trainsets has renewed expectations that Bengaluru could soon receive its first Vande Bharat Sleeper service. Earlier, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had indicated that the much-awaited Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to commence soon. If introduced, the service is expected to significantly improve rail connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra while addressing a long-pending demand from passengers in both south and north Karnataka for a faster overnight rail connection. Although Bengaluru has now received two sleeper trainsets, the officials reiterated that no decision has yet been taken on whether either rake would be deployed on the proposed Bengaluru-Mumbai route or any other corridor.
Nearly six years after the launch of the first Vande Bharat Express in 2019, the country’s first commercial Vande Bharat Sleeper service began operations on January 22, 2026. Operated by the Northeast Frontier Railway, the inaugural service runs between Kamakhya (Guwahati) and Howrah, covering approximately 972 km in around 14 hours. Designed for overnight journeys ranging between 800 km and 1,200 km, the Vande Bharat Sleeper is intended to gradually replace older long-distance premium trains such as the Rajdhani Express on select routes. Amenities on sleeper trains Each 16-coach trainset comprises 11 Third AC (3AC) coaches, four Second AC (2AC) coaches and one First AC (1AC) coach. The train can accommodate 823 passengers, including 611 in Third AC, 188 in Second AC and 24 in First AC.
The BriefWire