New Delhi: The trial of Vande Bharat sleeper train is likely to start soon in the country. This is what Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has to say. In response to a question in the Parliament, the Railway Minister, while giving a written statement in the Rajya Sabha, said that the first prototype of Vande Bharat Sleeper Train has been ready. It will be tested soon. On the question of operationalization of the train for passengers, the minister said it is subject to the successful completion of the trials.
Passengers will get special facilities
Ashwini Vaishnav, in a statement tabled in the Rajya Sabha, said that the Vande Bharat sleeper trains currently planned for long and medium distance journeys are equipped with modern facilities and passenger amenities. These trains are equipped with feature armour, trains conforming to EN-45545 HL3 fire safety standards, crashworthy and jerk-free semi-permanent couplers and anti climbers.
According to the information, emergency talk-back unit will also be installed for communication between passenger and train manager/loco pilot in case of emergency. Passenger facilities like air conditioning, salon lighting etc. will be available in the coaches of the trains.
There will be CCTV cameras in all coaches of the train. Passengers will also get an ergonomically designed staircase for ease of climbing to the upper berth. Modern toilet seats will also be available in the train. Talking about medium distance Vande Bharat train services, the Railway Minister said that by December 02, 2024, 136 Vande Bharat train services with chair car coaches will be running on the Indian Railways network. Of these, 16 Vande Bharat Express services are running in Tamil Nadu. The longest distance Vande Bharat train services are running between Delhi and Banaras covering a distance of 771 km.
Image Credit: India-Tv.