Watch: Vande Bharat (sleeper) aces 'water glass test' at 180km/h
What's the story
The sleeper avatar of the Vande Bharat Express train has successfully achieved a peak speed of 180km/h during several trials over the course of three days, the Indian Railways announced on Friday.
The trials are part of a series that will continue throughout January before the train is opened to passengers across the country.
Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a video on social media of a successful trial in the Kota Division.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the video
Vande Bharat (Sleeper) testing at 180 kmph pic.twitter.com/ruVaR3NNOt
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 2, 2025
Trial demo
Water level remained static, showing stability inside coaches
The video displays a nearly full glass of water next to a mobile on a flat surface inside a Vande Bharat sleeper train.
Despite the train reaching 180km/h, the water level remains steady, highlighting the stability of the train during high speed.
The post follows three days of successful trials, concluding on January 2, 2025 where a loaded Vande Bharat sleeper train achieved its peak speed.
Speed trials
Train's peak speed achieved during Rajasthan trials
The train hit its top speed on January 2 during a 30km run between Kota and Laban in Rajasthan's Bundi district.
A day prior, it had hit 180km/h during a 40km trial from Rohal Khurd to Kota. Other trials clocked 170km/h and 160km/h on different stretches.
These tests are being monitored by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow, and will end with an assessment by the Railway Safety Commissioner.
Train features
Vande Bharat sleeper trains promise reduced travel times
The Vande Bharat sleeper trains come with automatic doors, comfortable berths, onboard WiFi, and an aircraft-like design.
These facilities are already being enjoyed by Indian passengers on 136 Vande Bharat trains for medium and short distances.
The challenge for Indian Railways was to integrate berths while maintaining high speeds under full load conditions.
Successful trials promise reduced travel times for long-distance routes like Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Delhi to Mumbai.
Travel upgrade
Enhancing India's rail travel experience
Currently, India's fastest long-distance train service is the Tejas Rajdhani Express with an average speed of 90km/h and a maximum speed of 140km/h.
Once certified, the new Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be inducted into regular service, providing a world-class travel experience across India.
The successful trials of these trains under full passenger and luggage load conditions is a major step toward achieving that goal.