Hopes On Hold: On Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday inspected the nation’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train.

The inspection of the country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train may look like another routine infrastructure update, but it reflects a larger shift in how Indian Railways is being imagined. Unlike the chair-car versions that largely cater to short intercity routes, a sleeper train speaks to how most Indians actually travel.

Indian Railways and the Reality of Long-Distance Travel

Overnight journeys are not a luxury in this country. They are a necessity. Students, daily wage workers, families and migrants rely on sleeper coaches because they are affordable and practical. Any attempt to modernise railways that ignores this reality remains incomplete. In that sense, a sleeper version of the Vande Bharat was long overdue.

Modernisation vs Accessibility

The features being highlighted — improved suspension, better interiors, automated systems — are important. But comfort alone does not define success. What matters is deployment. If these trains are introduced only on select high-visibility routes, the impact will remain limited. The real test lies in whether such coaches replace ageing rakes on heavily used long-distance routes.

Passenger Numbers and Class Divide

Indian Railways carries more than two crore passengers every day. It is the only transport system that truly cuts across class lines. Modernisation, therefore, must not quietly create a new divide between those who can afford speed and those who are left with deteriorating alternatives.

The new trains make for good visuals, but maintenance, safety, and pricing will decide whether progress is real. A faster or newer train does little if booking remains inaccessible or fares rise beyond reach.

What Will Decide Its Success

The Vande Bharat sleeper train is a step in the right direction. But its value will be judged later. Modern railways should reduce exhaustion, not merely travel time. If that balance is kept, this train could matter.