In response to rising passenger demand, Indian Railways is expanding capacity on seven high-traffic Vande Bharat routes by upgrading the number of coaches. The Railway Board has approved converting 16-coach trains to 20-coach formations and doubling 8-coach trains to 16 coaches, based on occupancy and feasibility studies through mid-2025.

Routes receiving coach upgrades include:

Mangaluru Central–Thiruvananthapuram Central, Secunderabad–Tirupati, and Chennai Egmore–Tirunelveli.

Madurai–Bengaluru Cantonment, Deoghar–Varanasi, Howrah–Rourkela, and Indore–Nagpur.

The move follows impressive ridership figures—occupancy rates stood at over 102 per cent in FY 2024–25 and exceeded 105 per cent in the current financial year through June. According to Dilip Kumar, Executive Director (Information and Publicity), Railway Board, “Based on current data, three 16-coach trains will be upgraded to 20 coaches and four 8-coach services will be doubled to 16.”

Railway officials have confirmed that new 20-coach rakes are being prepared, while released rakes from the upgraded trains will be redeployed to serve additional routes.

Meanwhile, on 26 August, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off the new Nanded–Mumbai Vande Bharat Express via video link. Describing the service as a “gateway to prosperity” for the Marathwada region, Fadnavis highlighted the significance of Nanded as a major Sikh pilgrimage destination.

The train, which departed Hazur Sahib Nanded at 11.20 am and is scheduled to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai by 9.55 pm, will reduce journey times by approximately two hours compared to existing trains. Officials noted that the route also connects other prominent religious and heritage sites, including the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga, Shirdi Sai Baba temple, and the Ajanta–Ellora caves.