India Launches 100th Vande Bharat Trainset

Indian Railways rolled out the 100th Vande Bharat trainset on 2 May 2026 from the Modern Coach Factory at Raebareli. The trainset is a 16-coach chair-car rake fitted with a Siemens propulsion system and will undergo oscillation trials before induction into regular passenger service.

Vande Bharat Trainset Manufacturing Network

The Vande Bharat trainset manufacturing network includes the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala, and the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli. These production units manufacture trainsets for semi-high-speed passenger services in India.

Technical Features of the 100th Trainset

The Raebareli-built trainset includes fully sealed gangways, automatic plug doors, noise reduction systems, and the Kavach Automatic Train Protection system. Kavach is an indigenous train collision avoidance and protection system used on Indian Railways routes.

Vande Bharat Services and Variants

The Jammu–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express began regular operations on 2 May 2026 as the first direct rail link between Jammu and Srinagar. The service runs with a 20-coach configuration, covers the route in about 4 hours and 50 minutes, and operates six days a week. Vande Bharat sleeper services began commercial operations on 17 January 2026 for long-distance travel of 800 km to 1,200 km. The first sleeper prototype was rolled out by BEML in September 2024.

Important Facts for Exams

• The first Vande Bharat trainsets were introduced in 2018.
• The 100th trainset was manufactured at the Modern Coach Factory, Raebareli.
• Vande Bharat trainsets use a distributed traction system and chair-car or sleeper configurations.
• Project Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection system used on Indian Railways.

Evolution of Vande Bharat

The Vande Bharat train programme began in 2018 with two trainsets. By 2026, it had expanded into chair-car and sleeper variants for short and long-distance passenger services.