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photo-article-logo Saturday, 07 December 2024

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw dismisses reports of delay in Vande Bharat sleeper trains over design, here's the first look

Designed for 160 kmph speed, the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express features 16 coaches, including 11 AC three-tier, four AC two-tier and one AC first-class, offering a total of 823 passenger berths.

Our Web Desk Published 29.11.24, 01:34 PM

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has dismissed media reports claiming delay in starting the manufacturing process for Vande Bharat sleeper trains due to design clearance issues.

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the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express features 16 coaches, including 11 AC three-tier, four AC two-tier and one AC first-class, offering a total of 823 passenger berths.
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During a media interaction on Thursday, Vaishnaw said that design was never an issue with the Russian firm roped in to manufacture these train sets.

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Passenger Comfort: Advanced lighting, USB charging and a dedicated dog box ensure a comfortable journey. The train also has ample luggage space in each Driving Trailer Coach (DTC).

Earlier, a section of media quoting officials from the Russian company Transmashholding (TMH) reported that Indian Railways demanded toilets and a pantry car in the train which necessitated tweaking the trains' design.

The reports further said the firm addressed Railway Ministry's concerns with a change in design and sent it to the ministry for clearance, which, however, hasn't responded with its consent.

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Dining Facilities: Fresh meals are available through large, medium, and small pantries, with fixed and foldable snack tables for a comfortable dining experience.

As per the contracts, the firm is supposed to manufacture 1,920 sleeper coaches.

However, ministry sources said these reports were baseless as the real issues were with regard to the limited manufacturing capabilities of the firm because in Russia, trains have less number of coaches as compared to India.

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Safety & Design: The aerodynamic cab can withstand impacts up to 36 km/h, with crash buffers and anti-climbers integrated for enhanced passenger safety.

"The firm doesn't have experience to manufacture a train set of more than six or eight coaches. We had clearly told them that we will give them design of Vande Bharat to follow. What they need is more manufacturing teams," Vaishnaw said.

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Upgraded HVAC System: The train's HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system ensures uniform air conditioning throughout, providing consistent comfort for all passengers.

He added, "I want to clarify that when the contract was signed, it clearly said that they have to manufacture train sets with coaches 16/20/24." According to the minister, the firm was clearly told that India has a bigger population so on some routes 24 coaches were needed, while 16 coaches were required on other routes.

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Top Safety Standards and Black Box: Vigilance Control Device requiring driver operation every minute, Fire Detection System and HL3 safety compliance with a 15-minute response time ensure unparalleled safety. Equipped with a Black Box that captures real-time data, enhancing safety through continuous performance analysis.

Ministry sources said that since trains normally have six to eight coaches in Russia due to less population, the firm wanted to know why we need a train set with 16, 20 or 24 coaches.

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Crew Comfort, Ergonomic Toilets, Hygiene & Maintenance: Fully air-conditioned loco cabs with dedicated toilets ensure crew's well-being, enabling them to perform at their best. The train offers 51 ergonomically designed toilets, with options for Euro, Oriental, and combination styles. First-class passengers enjoy shower facilities. Bio-digester tanks with periodic bacteria changes every 6 months and 30-litre garbage compactors in each coach maintain high hygiene standards.

The sources said issues have been resolved and the work will start very soon.

With inputs from PTI. Pictures from Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's X handle (@AshwiniVaishnaw)

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