The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has awarded a contract worth Rs 1.8 billion (bn) to BEML to produce the sleeper variant of the Vande Bharat train as demand for faster, more comfortable rail travel grows in India. The order is intended to accelerate production of the sleeper configuration that entered passenger service earlier this year on the Guwahati–Howrah route. ICF and manufacturers are working to scale factory output to meet nationwide demand for the series.

Commercial services have shown strong patronage, with average occupancy rates of 98 per cent to over 100 per cent across various routes, and 162 Vande Bharat services are operating at present. The expansion has driven active orders for 260 sleeper trains across multiple manufacturers, strengthening the domestic supplier base and engineering capabilities in the rail sector. Officials describe the programme as central to modernising long-distance passenger offerings.

ICF Chennai remains a leading production centre and is currently handling an order for 50 sleeper trainsets configured with 24 coaches each. BEML has taken responsibility for manufacturing 10 sleeper trainsets under the recent contract, and one trainset was inducted into commercial operations in January 2026. The allocation of trains across manufacturers aims to shorten delivery timelines and expand service reach.

Kinet Railway Solutions, a consortium comprising Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, Metrowagonmash and Locomotive Electronic Systems in a 25:70:5 ratio, has been entrusted with 120 sleeper trainsets of 16 coaches each, with the first prototype targeted for rollout by 31 March 2027 from the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur. A consortium of BHEL and Titagarh Rail Systems will build 80 trainsets under a 35-year annual maintenance agreement, with the first train targeted for rollout in the third quarter of the financial year 2027. The coordinated production plan is expected to expand sleeper Vande Bharat availability across the national network.