Malda Town/Guwahati: India’s railways took a decisive leap as Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the country’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, stitching Howrah to Kamakhya in Assam with speed, silence and sleep-friendly comfort, and signalling the arrival of a new era in long-distance train travel. 

Launched from Malda Town in West Bengal, the premium overnight service is set to cut travel time on the nearly 1,000-km eastern corridor by over two hours while offering airline-style amenities on rails.

The 16-coach, fully air-conditioned Vande Bharat Sleeper - with AC 3-tier, AC 2-tier and First AC coaches - is designed for long hauls, combining the Vande Bharat platform’s semi-high-speed performance with the comfort of a night journey. Large windows, smooth suspension, bio-vacuum toilets, soft night lighting, CCTV surveillance, automatic doors and the indigenous KAVACH anti-collision system define the new train, which is expected to become the preferred choice for business travellers, tourists and frequent commuters between Bengal and the Northeast.

On its inaugural run, special services operated between Kamakhya and Howrah, halting at key stations across Assam and West Bengal, including New Jalpaiguri and Malda Town. Regular services will run six days a week, with the train leaving Howrah in the evening and arriving in Guwahati early next morning, and vice versa - effectively turning a long, tiring journey into an overnight hop.

The sleeper Vande Bharat was flagged off alongside multiple Amrit Bharat Express trains connecting the Northeast to far-flung corners of the country, including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka, underlining the Centre’s push to expand affordable, long-distance rail connectivity. 

Together, the launches reinforce a clear policy thrust: faster trains for premium travellers and improved capacity for the masses, running on parallel tracks.

Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for rail and road projects worth over ₹3,250 crore in West Bengal, including new lines, electrification works and upgraded railway infrastructure in north Bengal, a region increasingly positioned as the gateway to the Northeast.

For Indian Railways, the Vande Bharat Sleeper is more than a new train - it is a statement of intent. 

BI Bureau