Vande Bharat: Railways Makes Another Key Decision for the New Year, Big Good News for Passengers!

Indian Railways has decided to resume the production of Vande Bharat chair car train sets. 1500 Vande Bharat chair car coaches will be manufactured from 2026-27 to 2029-30, of which 720 will be produced in Chennai.

Indian Railways has reversed its earlier decision to halt the production of Vande Bharat chair car train sets. The Railway Board has now issued an order to manufacture 1,500 Vande Bharat chair car coaches over four years, from 2026-27 to 2029-30. Of these, 720 coaches will be produced at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.

According to official sources in the railway, all Shatabdi Express trains, whose rake production has almost ceased, will be replaced with Vande Bharat coaches. Out of a total of 88 rakes, 68 will be 16-coach train sets, while the remaining 20 will be 20-coach sets.

How Vande Bharat Was Designed

The Vande Bharat chair car rake is designed for a maximum speed of 160 km/h and is primarily intended for daytime intercity services.

As of December 2023, three production units – ICF, Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala, and Modern Coach Factory Raebareli – have manufactured approximately 96 Vande Bharat chair car rakes. Of these, 82 rakes are in service, while some additional rakes have been allocated to various railway zones and are yet to be commissioned.

When Did Vande Bharat Train Start?

The Vande Bharat train was introduced in 2019. The first train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This train initially ran from Delhi to Varanasi.

Even today, Vande Bharat completes the journey between Delhi and Varanasi in just eight hours. Currently, approximately 164 Vande Bharat Express trains are operational across the country, serving various routes.