Vande Bharat Express network grows as services expand nationwide

Indian Railways is steadily scaling the Vande Bharat Express network as it modernises inter-city passenger travel. Since the service debuted in 2019, the programme has grown to 164 Vande Bharat services nationwide, reaching 274 districts and carrying more than 75 million passengers, as outlined by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Vande Bharat Express features and safety systems

Introduced as India’s first indigenously designed semi-high-speed trainset, Vande Bharat is intended to cut journey times on medium-distance routes while improving comfort and safety.

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The trains use self-propelled technology and come with regenerative braking, automatic doors, modern air-conditioning, and bio-vacuum toilets. Safety equipment includes KAVACH Automatic Train Protection, India’s Automatic Train Protection system.

Journey times and demand across key corridors

Across several routes, journey times have been reduced by up to 45%. One example is the New Delhi–Varanasi service, which now takes around eight hours. Demand has stayed strong, with average occupancy exceeding 100% during 2024–25 and 2025–26 (up to June 2025).

Upgraded trainsets and the Vande Bharat Sleeper

Indian Railways has introduced upgrades in phases. Vande Bharat 2.0, launched in 2022, offers improved energy efficiency and higher design speeds. The current Vande Bharat 3.0 generation provides faster acceleration and updated onboard systems. Another iteration, Vande Bharat 4.0, remains under development and is expected to be introduced within the next 18 months.

The operator is also set to introduce the Vande Bharat Sleeper this month, extending the platform to long-distance overnight travel. The first service will operate between Howrah and Guwahati, and the trainset has completed trial runs and certification, according to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release. The first service is expected to reduce travel time by an estimated three hours compared with existing trains, and the 16-coach, fully air-conditioned sleeper trainset is positioned as the platform’s step into overnight operations. The wider rollout around the sleeper variant has also been followed by Railway Supply.

Looking ahead, Indian Railways plans to operate around 800 Vande Bharat trainsets by 2030, with a long-term vision of scaling the fleet to approximately 4,500 by 2047, subject to infrastructure readiness. Overall, the programme forms a key component of India’s strategy to strengthen rail connectivity and support sustainable transport growth.

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