Saleem Ahmad says Vande Bharat sleeper delayed until March 2027
India
India's first Vande Bharat sleeper train prototype is set to roll out by March 31, 2027, later than the original June 2026 deadline.
Saleem Ahmad, RVNL's chairman and managing director, shared the update at their annual meeting, saying the coaches are being built at the newly revamped Marathwada Rail Coach Factory in Latur.
Kinet JV building 120 16-coach trainsets
The project is led by Kinet Railway Solutions Ltd. an Indo-Russian joint venture between RVNL and Transmashholding.
They're building 120 sleeper trainsets (each with 16 coaches), aiming to make long-distance travel way more comfortable.
RVNL has already delivered over 17,000km of rail upgrades across India, including tough projects in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, so this is another big leap for modern rail travel.