Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains 2025: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday confirmed that the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will be launched once the second train is ready for regular service. One train is already ready at Shakur Basti Coaching Depot in Delhi after completing necessary trials and testing, officials said.
Second Train Critical for Regular Operations
Briefing the media, Vaishnaw said that the second train is currently being manufactured and is expected to be ready by October 15, 2025. “Both the trains will be launched together,” he added. The minister emphasised that the second train is essential to maintain continuity of services. “That’s why we are waiting for a second rake. Once we get it, we will decide any route and start operations,” Vaishnaw said.
Speculation is rife that the trains may initially operate between New Delhi and Patna, with Bihar going to polls by the end of the year. Vaishnaw, along with Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, also updated the media on several upcoming and ongoing railway projects in Punjab.
New Rail Links and Vande Bharat Routes
The upcoming 18-kilometre Rajpura-Mohali line will connect the region to Chandigarh via the shortest route on the Ambala-Amritsar main line. The line will reduce travel distance by approximately 66 kilometres, ease traffic on the existing Rajpura-Ambala route, and shorten the Ambala-Morinda link.
Vaishnaw also proposed a new Vande Bharat train between New Delhi and Firozpur Cantonment, which will cover Faridkot, Bhatinda (W), Dhuri, Patiala, Ambala Cantonment, Kurukshetra, and Panipat stations. According to Railways, the train will cover the 486-kilometre distance in 6 hours and 40 minutes. “I will request the Prime Minister to approve the Firozpur-Delhi Vande Bharat train,” Vaishnaw said.
The ministers shared nine key railway projects commissioned after 2014, including new lines and doubling projects across Punjab. They also highlighted seven ongoing projects and the redevelopment of 30 stations under the Amrit Bharat station redevelopment scheme.
Highlighting punctuality achievements, Vaishnaw said 29 rail divisions — including Malda, Mysore, Sialdah, Nagpur, and Trivandrum — have achieved 90 per cent punctuality.