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New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday announced that India's first Vande Bharat Sleeper train is set to begin operations from October. The launch was earlier expected in September. Vaishnaw also announced that two rakes will be introduced simultaneously once the second one arrives by mid-October.
“The Vande Bharat Sleeper is ready and tested. We will start two rakes at the same time. The second rake is expected by October 15,” Vaishnaw said.
The sleeper variant of the new Vande Bharat rakes promises to enhance passenger comfort with modern interiors and advanced safety features. It is also designed to reduce travel time and will cover the Delhi-Patna stretch in about 11 hours, compared to the existing 12-17 hours.
Alongside the update on the Vande Bharat project, Vaishnaw also unveiled a major infrastructure push for Punjab. He announced the construction of a new 18-km railway line between Rajpura and Mohali at a cost of Rs 443 crore. This line is expected to improve regional connectivity and will directly link the area with the national capital.
“This is an important project. The Rajpura–Mohali line has been a demand since 1960. The entire area was disconnected from the capital, and this new line will bridge that gap,” the minister said. He also proposed a new Vande Bharat service that would connect Firozpur Cantt, Bathinda, Patiala, and Delhi.
Vaishnaw highlighted the massive rise in railway investment in Punjab and said that the allocations have grown from Rs 225 crore between 2009 and 2014 to Rs 5,421 crore in the current period. He credited Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Bittu for actively supporting the project's development.
