Indian Railways tests high-speed Vande Bharat freight and sleeper trains

Indian Railways is conducting high-speed trials for new Vande Bharat train variants, including a freight EMU and a sleeper model.

The Vande Bharat Freight EMU, developed by the Integral Coach Factory, reached 130 kmph during trials on the Ahmedabad–Vadodara–Mumbai Central section. Designed for time-sensitive, high-value cargo such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, and cold-chain goods, the 16-coach train features advanced safety systems like Kavach, refrigerated vans, and CCTV surveillance. It is intended to complement rather than replace heavy freight on Dedicated Freight Corridors by providing faster logistics on passenger routes.

Separately, the Vande Bharat Sleeper underwent high-speed testing of the indigenous Kavach automatic train protection system on the Hazrat Nizamuddin-Palwal route. The 16-coach sleeper train reached speeds of up to 160 kmph during the trial. The sleeper model is designed for long-distance overnight travel with a capacity of 823 passengers and a design speed of 180 kmph.