Indian Railways is likely to commence testing of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains by November 15, 2024, as the first fully air conditioned (AC) trainset having a passenger capacity of about 820 arrived at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai in October 2024. Reportedly, the train is undergoing the initial commissioning and furnishing work. The testing for the same, which involves oscillation trials and emergency breaking distress trials, will be conducted at the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow and Western Railway (WR), with the final completion expected by January 15, 2025.
Moreover, there will be phase-wise testing, starting from the initial speed of 90 km per hour (kmph) and finally accelerating to 180 kmph. Further, ICF has planned to develop a total of 50 Vande Bharat sleeper trains, while Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) will develop nine more trains by 2026.
Besides, the first power car of the hydrogen-powered train is likely to be commissioned by February 2025 and the second will be commissioned by April 2025.