Finally, in order to move forward with the ambitious Vande Bharat trains with sleeper facilities, Russian rolling-stock major TMH deposited Rs 200 crore as a performance bank guarantee (PBG) to the railways on Monday. This has paved the way for the railways to sign a manufacturing and maintenance contract with TMH as a technology partner for the production of 120 such trains.

The government plans to launch the first prototype of the Vande Bharat train with sleeper coaches in March of next year, just months before the Lok Sabha elections.

TMH, a Russian conglomerate, has formed a joint venture with RVNL, a railway PSU.

Another central PSU consortium, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and Titagarh Waggons (TWL), has won the tender for the production of 80 such Vande Bharat trains, and this consortium is expected to produce the first train.

These trains will serve long-distance and overnight trips, and they may be used on Rajdhani routes.

According to the tender conditions, the special purpose vehicle (SPV) established by TMH and RVNL will manufacture 120 Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets within the time frame specified, as well as provide maintenance services for 35 years.

The Integral Coach Factory in Chennai is currently producing Vande Bharat trains with seating.