Is Vande Bharat Sleeper Going To Be Better Than Rajdhani Express? All You Need To Know

Indian Railways is planning to launch sleeper versions of its Vande Bharat Express trains, built for long-distance travel at a speed of up to 200 km/h.

The new Vande Bharat sleeper trains are designed to improve the quality of long-distance travel on the train in terms of speed and comfort.

This proposed plan of sleeper Vande Barat trains has triggered speculations about Indian Railways looking to replace Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains. An official word on the replacement plan, however, is still awaited.

The comparison between the iconic Indian trains leaves us with the question of which is better.

So, will the Vande Bharat sleeper outperform the Rajdhani Express? Here are a few reasons to be excited about the new train

Passenger Convenience And Better Ambience

The Vande Bharat sleeper train would include a better-designed staircase or ladder for passengers to access the top and middle berths than the Rajdhani. Similar to its chair car version, the Vande Bharat sleeper train set will feature completely sealed gangways for improved air conditioning and a dust-free atmosphere.

Better Seating And Doors

Vande Bharat sleeper trains would have better cushioned berths than Rajdhani. Indian Railways is also looking into adding extra cushioning to the sides of each berth to improve sleep comfort.

According to TOI, the Vande Bharat sleeper trains will feature driver-controlled automatic entry and exit doors for passengers, as well as automatic interconnecting doors between coaches.

Fast And Jerk-free Ride

With a 160 km/ph train set, the Vande Bharat sleeper enables quicker acceleration and deceleration. This will cut the total trip time and boost the train’s average speed in comparison to the Rajdhani Express.

Railway authorities claim that due to the different couplers and design of the Vande Bharat sleeper trains, passengers will experience smoother, jerk-free rides compared to the Rajdhani trains.

Fire Safety Measures

According to the Times of India, the Vande Bharat sleeper train will have better fire safety requirements than the Rajdhani trains. The fire safety system will fulfil EN 45545 HL3 fire safety standards, as will all non-metallic components.

The upcoming train will also get a fire barrier wall that meets E30 integrity standards for luggage compartments, preventing a fire from spreading to the saloon and cabin area. Each car will have a fire barrier end wall door (E15) to prevent fire from spreading between coaches.

Furthermore, the system offers fire integrity and insulation for up to 15 minutes, preventing fire propagation from the under-frame.

No Locomotive

Unlike Rajdhani Express trains, the Vande Bharat sleeper will be a self-propelled train set with a driver cabin at either end. Since there won’t be a locomotive to pull it like usual trains, the turnaround time at end stations will also be cut down.

Crashworthiness

The Rajdhani Express trains are less “crashworthy” than the Vande Bharat sleeper train in the event of an unfortunate mishap, according to railway sources who spoke with ToI. This crashworthiness will be attained by front and intermediate couplers with deformation tubes and front and intermediate side crash buffers.