“8 Vande Bharat Sleepers In...”: Ashwini Vaishnaw Sets Production Timeline, 12 More By Year-End

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained the roadmap for scaling up Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, highlighting that unlike earlier assumptions of 17–18 pairs, the sleeper version will have 40 pairs. He said the Vande Bharat Sleeper has completed nearly a year-long cycle of testing and improvements, received CRS certification, and now has a fully standardised design. Production will be ramped up systematically, with around eight trains to be built in the next six months and about twelve by the end of the year. Backed by a strong supply chain and massive capacity expansion in tracks, coaches, and infrastructure, the government aims to reduce waiting lists across key sectors in the next 1–2 years.