Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) is aiming to roll out the first Vande Bharat Sleeper prototype by June 2026. RVNL Chairman and Managing Director Saleem Ahmad said during the Q3FY26 earnings call that the project is progressing smoothly and as planned.
The RVNL-led joint venture plans to manufacture 120 Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets, each consisting of 16 coaches, bringing the total coach production to 1,920 units. “Vande Bharat is a prestigious project for both us and Indian Railways. Our immediate milestone is to deliver the prototype to the railways, and we are confident of achieving this by June 2026,” Ahmad added.
The contract for manufacturing the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains has been awarded to three groups: BEML, Kinet Railway Solutions—a joint venture between Russian rolling stock major TMH and RVNL—and a consortium of Titagarh Rail Systems Limited and Bharat Heavy Engineering Limited (BHEL).
The Howrah-Kamakhya-Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper train, launched in January 2026, was developed by BEML using technology from the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF).
In October 2025, Kinet Railway Solutions unveiled the design for the First AC coach of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train. The four-berth First AC compartment features a bright, spacious interior with enhanced privacy, easy access to upper berths via a staircase, and modern amenities including built-in USB ports, individual reading lights, and smart storage solutions to improve passenger comfort.
