Indian Railways is set to introduce a Sleeper Vande Bharat Express between Howrah and New Delhi, passing through major stations in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, including Mokama, Kiul, Patna and Buxar. The new service will significantly reduce travel time and enhance passenger comfort on the busy eastern–northern rail corridor.

The Sleeper Vande Bharat will cover the approximately 1,500-km journey in just 14 hours, operating at a maximum speed of 125 kmph. This will be the second Sleeper Vande Bharat for West Bengal and the first such train for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Railway officials said preparations are underway to launch the service soon, as part of the plan to operate 12 Sleeper Vande Bharat trains across the country this year.

The train will have 16 fully air-conditioned coaches with a total passenger capacity of 823. The rake composition includes 11 Third AC coaches, four Second AC coaches, and one First AC coach. Third AC will accommodate 611 passengers, Second AC 188, and First AC 24.

Compared to existing premium services such as the Tejas Rajdhani, the Sleeper Vande Bharat offers a shorter travel time along with modern onboard amenities. These include improved lighting, clean and modern restrooms, mobile charging points at berths, AI-based CCTV surveillance, automatic doors, and advanced fire safety systems.

New Amrit Bharat Trains Through Bihar

In addition, Indian Railways will operate four Amrit Bharat trains in the coming days, many of which will pass through Bihar:

15949/15950 Amrit Bharat: Weekly service between Dibrugarh and Gomti Nagar (till January 18).

22588/22587 Amrit Bharat: Service between Banaras and Sealdah—departing Banaras on Sunday, Thursday and Friday, and Sealdah on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

13065/13066 Amrit Bharat: Weekly service between Howrah and Anand Vihar.

11031/11032 Amrit Bharat: Weekly service between Panvel (Mumbai) and Alipurduar (West Bengal).

Railway authorities said these new services aim to improve long-distance connectivity, reduce congestion, and provide affordable yet modern travel options for passengers across eastern and northern India.