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Why India's 1st sleeper Vande Bharat train is still idle
The much-awaited Vande Bharat sleeper train, launched with fanfare in September 2024, is still sitting idle instead of rolling out for passengers.
It was supposed to start running by December last year, but over a hundred technical issues—like panel gaps and AC duct problems—have kept it parked at Shakurbasti depot since around May.
Timeline for services pushed to November 2025
BEML had promised to fix these defects by June 2025, but most problems are still unresolved.
The rush to meet the inauguration deadline led to skipped quality checks, causing even more delays.
Now, ICF wants a new timeline from BEML while also working on a bigger 24-car version for next year.
If all goes well, sleeper services might finally start in November 2025—just not as soon as everyone hoped.