The Vande Bharat sleeper train, designed for long and medium-distance routes, has successfully reached a peak speed of 180 kmph during trials conducted over the past three days, the Ministry of Railways announced.
The trials are set to continue until the end of January, paving the way for world-class travel across India.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a video of the trial run on X (formerly Twitter), showcasing the train's impressive stability at high speeds. "Vande Bharat (Sleeper) testing at 180 kmph," he wrote.
The 32-second video, widely circulated as the Vande Bharat Train video, shows a full glass of water placed next to a mobile phone on a flat surface inside the train. Remarkably, the water remains still as the train maintains a constant speed of 180 kmph.
Trials were conducted on various sections of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh from December 31 to January 2. The train achieved its peak speed of 180 kmph on a 30-km stretch between Kota and Laban in Bundi district and a 40-km stretch between Rohal Khurd and Kota.
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Speeds of 170 kmph and 160 kmph were also recorded on the Kota-Nagda and Rohal Khurd-Chau Mahla sections, respectively.
The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in Lucknow is overseeing these tests. Once the trials are completed, the Vande Bharat sleeper train will undergo final evaluation by the Railway Safety Commissioner. After certification, it will be inducted into regular service.
Passengers can look forward to high-speed, luxurious travel on routes like Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Delhi to Mumbai, and Howrah to Chennai once these sleeper trains are launched.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw previously highlighted the train's advanced features, including the Kavach automatic train protection system, compliance with modern fire-safety standards, crash-resistant semi-permanent couplers, regenerative braking for energy efficiency, and smoother acceleration and deceleration for higher average speeds.
The Vande Bharat sleeper train launch date will be announced soon, marking a significant upgrade in Indian Railways' offerings.
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