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Vande Bharat chair car and sleeper trains: first run, versions, speeds, number of services and fleet targets, from PIB.
For UPSC, Vande Bharat fits under Make in India and infrastructure in GS 3. Use the fleet targets and the shift to sleeper trains as examples of rail modernisation.
SSC GK asks first-route and first-year questions most often. Remember: 2019, New Delhi to Varanasi, built by ICF Chennai.
RRB papers ask about the first route, the year, the manufacturer (Integral Coach Factory, Chennai) and the top speed. Keep the latest count of services handy and update it when PIB releases new figures.
Vande Bharat is a self-propelled train set: the motors are spread under the coaches, so there is no separate locomotive. This lets it speed up and slow down faster than a loco-hauled train, which cuts journey time on routes with many curves and stops. The first rakes were built at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.
| Version | Key point |
|---|---|
| Vande Bharat Express | First run 15 February 2019; designed for 160 kmph |
| Vande Bharat 2.0 | First run 30 September 2022 on Gandhinagar-Mumbai Central; designed for 180 kmph, operated up to 160 kmph |
| Vande Bharat 3.0 | Reaches 100 kmph from standstill in about 52 seconds |
| Vande Bharat Sleeper | 16 AC coaches, about 823 passengers; trials touched 180 kmph on Kota-Nagda |
By December 2025, Vande Bharat services covered 274 districts and had carried more than 7.5 crore passengers. In July 2026, PIB reported 162 chair car services running as 81 pairs, plus sleeper services. The same release lists six chair car pairs that serve Bengaluru.
The first Vande Bharat Sleeper, Howrah-Kamakhya (27575/27576), began regular running on 22 January 2026. PIB estimated the trip at about 14 hours against about 17 hours for the Saraighat Express. See the In the news section below for newer sleeper routes.
The Railways plan about 800 Vande Bharat trainsets by 2030 and about 4,500 by 2047, depending on infrastructure and manufacturing capacity.
| First service | 15 February 2019, New Delhi to Varanasi [1] |
|---|---|
| Design speed | 160 kmph (Vande Bharat Express) [1] |
| Vande Bharat 2.0 | Flagged off 30 September 2022 (Gandhinagar-Mumbai Central); designed for 180 kmph [1] |
| Chair car services | 162 services (81 pairs) as of 23 July 2026 [2] |
| First sleeper | 27575/27576 Howrah-Kamakhya, regular from 22 January 2026 [2] |
| Sleeper rake | 16 AC coaches, about 823 passengers [1] |
| Fleet target | About 800 trainsets by 2030 and about 4,500 by 2047 [1] |
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The third Vande Bharat Sleeper route links SMVT Bengaluru with CSMT Mumbai overnight, with stops at Raichur, Yadgir, Wadi and Kalaburagi in North Karnataka.
Facts checked against these sources as of 5 November 2026. When something changes, this note is updated.
