The announcement of the new VB trains will be in addition to the already announced plan to introduce 475 such semi high-speed trains over the next 3-4 years. Sources said the ultimate target is to sanction 300-400 such trains annually to meet the growing demand and provide better riding experience to the passengers.
On plans to improve the design of these trains to increase speed on existing tracks, a Railway Ministry official said India will get its first set of trains with tilting technology by 2025-26. About 100 VB trains out of 475 already sanctioned will use this technology, which enables trains to turn at higher speeds.
railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav The first VB train with sleeper coaches will be introduced in the first quarter of 2024 calendar year. Presently all these trains are for Broad Gauge (BG) network. “We will manufacture these trains which can run on the SG network. A test track with a speed of 220 kmph is being developed. Rajasthan Rajasthan to perform the necessary tests. A ministry official said, once we have a large fleet of VB trains running successfully across the country, the technology will be set for the whole world.