Will Vande Bharat trains replace Rajdhani and Shatabdi? Railway minister answers in Parliament

The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday said that 136 Vande Bharat train services with chair cars are currently operational on the electrified broad-gauge network. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified that the Vande Bharat trains have been introduced without replacing any of the existing services.

Lok Sabha members Chhotelal and Kalyan Banerjee had posed a series of questions, including whether the government was contemplating running Vande Bharat trains throughout the country in future and whether it plans to replace Rajdhani, Shatabdi, or Duronto trains with them.

“As on 12th December, 2024, 136 Vande Bharat train services, having Chair Cars, are operational on the Broad Gauge (B.G.) electrified network of Indian Railways, which have been introduced without replacement of existing services,” Vaishnaw said in a statement.

“Besides, introduction of new train services, including Vande Bharat services, is an ongoing process on Indian Railways subject to traffic justification, operational feasibility, resource availability, etc.,” he added.

The statement comes amid speculation about whether the Vande Bharat trains, known for their semi-high-speed capability and modern amenities, would phase out the Rajdhani and Shatabdi, which have long been synonymous with luxury rail travel in India.

In reply to another question, the minister noted that train-wise earnings are not separately maintained. However, the Vande Bharat Express trains have achieved an overall occupancy of more than 100% during the ongoing fiscal year up to October 2024, he said.

The parliament was informed that 10 Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are currently under production for long- and medium-distance journeys in the country. The first prototype has been manufactured and will undergo field trials. In addition, the manufacturing of 200 Vande Bharat Sleeper Rakes has also been awarded to Technology partners. The timeline of the rollout of the train is subject to the successful completion of the trials.