Patna: India’s first semi high-speed sleeper version of the Vande Bharat Express is expected to begin operations next month, with the Delhi–Patna route under consideration ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to flag off the train.
The new service, designed with premium facilities and capable of speeds up to 160 km/h, will mark a shift in overnight train travel. Railway officials said the sleeper Vande Bharat will include advanced catering services and dynamic pricing, with fares expected to be 10–15% higher than those of the Rajdhani Express. A trial run has already been completed, and the train reached the Shakur Basti depot in Delhi last week.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is scheduled to brief the media on its features next week, while officials said the final decision on the fare and route is yet to be confirmed.
Alongside the new train, Indian Railways has announced that 12,000 special services will operate to and from Bihar during the festive season of Diwali and Chhath. Deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary thanked PM Modi and Vaishnaw, saying the decision followed requests from chief minister Nitish Kumar to ease the difficulties faced by migrants and other passengers travelling home during the holidays.
Vaishnaw said the two-month programme of additional services aimed to address the annual rush of travellers. The ministry has also introduced a pilot round-trip package scheme, offering up to 20% discount on return fares booked together. The scheme will run between October 13 and December 1 and will apply across all trains and classes.
