Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Vande Bharat Sleeper Completes High-Speed Kavach Trial Near Delhi
The Vande Bharat Sleeper is a fast train made for overnight and long-distance trips.
It has beds instead of only regular seats.
The train tested a safety system called Kavach near Delhi.
Kavach is designed to help train drivers and reduce accidents caused by human mistakes.
During the test, the train traveled as fast as 160 kilometers per hour.
It could not travel at that speed everywhere because some railway work was underway.
The train has 16 coaches and can carry 823 passengers.
Indian Railways plans to use these trains on more long-distance routes.
The 16-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper successfully tested the Kavach automatic train protection system on the Hazrat Nizamuddin–Palwal route.
The train reached operational speeds of up to 160 kmph, though infrastructure work and a speed restriction near Faridabad prevented sustained top speed.
It covered nearly 50 km in about 40 minutes before returning to Delhi during the Sunday trial.
The train has 823 seats, including AC three-tier, AC two-tier and First AC coaches with shower facilities.
Indian Railways plans to expand the sleeper train to more long-distance routes, including an approved Bengaluru–Mumbai service.
- Who
- Northern Railway officials tested a Vande Bharat Sleeper train equipped with the Kavach safety system.
- What
- A 16-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper completed a high-speed trial of Kavach at speeds of up to 160 kmph.
- When
- The trial was conducted on a Sunday; the articles do not provide an exact date.
- Where
- The test took place between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Palwal, with restrictions near Faridabad.
- Why
- The trial assessed Kavach's performance at high speed and its communication between the locomotive pilot and station.
- Train composition
- 16 coaches: 11 AC three-tier, four AC two-tier and one First AC coach.
- Passenger capacity
- 823 passengers.
- Design speed
- 180 kmph.
- Tested operational speed
- Up to 160 kmph, subject to route speed limits and infrastructure.
- Trial distance and time
- Nearly 50 km between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Palwal in about 40 minutes.
- Passenger features
- Automatic doors, improved berths, charging points, reading lights, modern passenger information systems and First AC shower facilities.
- Approved expansion route
- A Vande Bharat Sleeper service between KSR Bengaluru and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai has been approved.