Vande Bharat Sleeper Clocks 180 kmph in Safety Trial
New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said delays and lack of clearances during the tenure of the previous Maharashtra government under Uddhav Thackeray forced major changes in the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, including the construction of an additional depot.
Addressing the project’s progress, Vaishnaw said the high-speed corridor will have 12 stations, with Sabarmati as the terminal station in Gujarat and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai as the terminal in Maharashtra.
“For a stretch of 508 kilometres, normally two depots are sufficient. But because permissions and approvals were withheld for a long period by the then Maharashtra government, three depots had to be planned,” he said, adding that delays necessitated additional operational arrangements.
Even as the Bullet Train project faced hurdles, Indian Railways made a major technological stride with the successful safety trial of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train.
Tested by the Commissioner of Railway Safety on the Kota–Nagda section, the train achieved a speed of 180 kmph, showcasing India’s growing capability in semi-high-speed rail technology.
The Railway Minister said the trial also highlighted the train’s advanced suspension and stability systems. A water stability test conducted onboard—where a glass of water remained steady at high speed—demonstrated improved ride comfort and technological precision in the new-generation sleeper train.
Officials said the successful trial brings the Vande Bharat Sleeper closer to commercial introduction, offering faster and more comfortable overnight travel, while the Bullet Train project, despite past delays, continues to move forward as a flagship infrastructure initiative.
#BulletTrainProject #VandeBharatSleeper #IndianRailways #RailInfrastructure
