NEW DELHI (Metro Rail news): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the RVNL stall at the INNOPROM Exhibition at Bharat Mandapam. They viewed a model of the Indo-Russian Vande Bharat Sleeper trainset.
The visit comes as the first prototype being developed by the Indo-Russian joint venture Kinet Railway Solutions faces a delay and is now expected to roll out by March 31, 2027.
Modi and Putin view Vande Bharat Sleeper model
The Vande Bharat Sleeper model was among the key railway exhibits at the RVNL stall during the three-day exhibition. RVNL CMD Saleem Ahmad welcomed Modi and Putin during their visit to the stall. Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Russian rolling stock manufacturer Transmashholding (TMH) have joined hands to manufacture Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets in India through Kinet Railway Solutions Ltd.
The joint venture will manufacture 120 Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets, with each train comprising 16 coaches. The trains will be manufactured at Kinet’s facility in Marathwada, Maharashtra. RVNL said the project combines Indian manufacturing capabilities with Russian technology.
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First Vande Bharat Sleeper prototype from Kinet delayed to March 2027
The first Vande Bharat Sleeper prototype from Kinet was originally expected in June 2026. However, RVNL announced a revised timeline a few weeks ago. The first prototype is now expected to roll out by March 31, 2027. After the prototype rolls out, the trainset will have to go through testing and trials before series production and passenger operations. The delay means Kinet’s trainsets will enter the wider Vande Bharat Sleeper programme later than originally planned.
120 Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets planned under Kinet contract
Kinet Railway Solutions will manufacture 120 of the planned Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets. The overall manufacturing programme covers 260 trainsets. The planned production is divided among different manufacturers and partnerships:
- Kinet Railway Solutions: 120 trainsets
- BHEL-Titagarh consortium: 80 trainsets
- Integral Coach Factory, Chennai: 50 trainsets
The Railway Ministry plans to introduce the sleeper trainsets in phases. The rollout will depend on demand, testing and operational readiness.
Vande Bharat Sleeper programme moves into phased production
The sleeper version of Vande Bharat is being developed through a combination of prototype production, testing, trials and series manufacturing. BEML, Integral Coach Factory and technology partners are involved in the programme. The first pair of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17, connecting Kamakhya and Howrah.
The sleeper trains are designed to take Vande Bharat beyond the current day-travel network and into longer-distance overnight services. However, the manufacturing programme will not move into full-scale passenger deployment at once. The Railway Ministry has planned a phased induction based on the readiness of each trainset and operating requirements.
RVNL showcases other major railway projects
The Vande Bharat Sleeper model was not the only railway project displayed at the RVNL stall. The company also showcased a model of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) being used for tunnel construction on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Rail Link Project. The project involves railway construction through difficult Himalayan terrain, where tunnelling forms a major part of the work.
RVNL also displayed a model of the New Pamban Railway Sea Bridge, India’s first vertical-lift railway sea bridge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the bridge last year. These exhibits placed the Vande Bharat Sleeper project alongside RVNL’s work in railway construction, tunnelling and bridge engineering.
Indo-Russian partnership takes shape in train manufacturing
The Kinet project is one of the larger manufacturing programmes within the Vande Bharat Sleeper plan. It also brings a foreign technology partner into India’s growing train manufacturing ecosystem.
For Kinet, the next major milestone will be the rollout of its first prototype by March 2027. The train will then need to clear the required testing and trial stages before regular passenger service.
Also Read: Railways begins land acquisition for Vande Bharat Sleeper Depot in Bengaluru