India’s First Vande Bharat Sleeper Depot to Be Ready by June 2026

11 Nov 2025 CW Team

The country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper coach maintenance facility is expected to be ready by June 2026 at Bhagat Ki Kothi Railway Station in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, according to Major Amit Swamy, Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer, North Western Railway (NWR).

The state-of-the-art facility, being built at a total cost of Rs 3600 million, will serve as a dedicated maintenance and training hub for the upcoming Vande Bharat sleeper trains.

The first phase, involving a 600-metre track to maintain 24 sleeper coaches, will be completed by June 2026 at a cost of Rs 1670 million. The second phase, comprising a 178-metre track, workshop, and simulator facility, will be completed by June 2027 with an investment of Rs 1950 million.

The depot will include a wheel rack system, specialised testing lab, and training simulators for high-tech equipment, underscoring Indian Railways’ emphasis on precision, safety, and operational excellence.

The project is being executed by North Western Railway, with Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and Kinet Railway Solution — a Russia–India joint venture — as technology partners.

“This facility will exclusively maintain sleeper coaches of Vande Bharat trains, with a three-tier inspection system for quality assurance,” Swamy stated.

In addition to Jodhpur, four similar depots are being set up at Bijwasan (Delhi), Thanisandra (Bengaluru), Anand Vihar (Delhi), and Wadi Bandar (Mumbai) to support the expanding fleet of Vande Bharat sleeper trains.

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