**Executive Summary**
This report highlights the significant growth and popularity of the Vande Bharat Express network, which saw a 34% year-on-year passenger increase to 3.98 crore in FY 2025–26. Since its inception in February 2019, the network has completed 1 lakh trips and served over 9.1 crore passengers. The document details the successful launch of the Sleeper service in January 2026 and outlines the ongoing expansion of indigenously manufactured semi-high-speed rail across India.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Growth and Performance Statistics**
* Passenger patronage grew from 2.97 crore in FY 2024–25 to approximately 3.98 crore in FY 2025–26.
* The network has surpassed 9.1 crore total passengers and 1 lakh completed trips since its launch.
* The service maintains high public trust and sustained demand for modern, fast, and comfortable rail travel.
**Route-Specific Highlights**
* The New Delhi–Varanasi route remains the busiest, recording over 73 lakh passengers to date.
* Significant pilgrimage and regional demand is evident on the New Delhi–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (56 lakh passengers) and Secunderabad–Visakhapatnam (48 lakh passengers) routes.
* The Chennai–Mysuru route has served over 36 lakh passengers, reflecting strong demand in Southern India.
**Vande Bharat Sleeper Service**
* Introduced in January 2026 to provide premium long-distance overnight connectivity.
* Achieved over 100 percent occupancy within the first three months of operation.
* Served 1.21 lakh passengers across 119 trips during its initial quarter.
**Manufacturing and Strategic Vision**
* Trains are indigenously designed and manufactured under the "Make in India" initiative, symbolizing self-reliance.
* Focus remains on enhancing speed, safety features, and passenger comfort.
* Ongoing expansion aims to connect metros, heritage cities, pilgrimage destinations, and emerging economic hubs.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Railways**
**Impact**
The organization is successfully redefining rail travel through innovation and indigenous manufacturing, leading to a transformation of the national rail network.
**Action Required**
Continue the steady expansion of the network to include more economic hubs and maintain the rollout of the Sleeper variant to meet high demand.
**Passengers**
**Impact**
Travelers gain access to faster, safer, and more comfortable transit options for both short-duration trips and overnight journeys.
**Action Required**
Adopt the premium rail services for tourism, pilgrimage, and business travel as an alternative to traditional rail or other transport modes.
**Local Economies and Tourism Sector**
**Impact**
Improved connectivity to religious, cultural, and coastal destinations is boosting visitor footfall and regional economic growth.
**Action Required**
Local authorities and businesses should leverage the increased accessibility to enhance tourism infrastructure and services at key destinations.
Key Entities Referenced
Vande Bharat Express: India’s first indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high-speed train network aimed at providing fast, modern, and comfortable rail travel.
Ministry of Railways: The primary government department responsible for the development, operation, and nationwide expansion of the Vande Bharat rail network.
Make in India: The national initiative under which the Vande Bharat trains are indigenously developed to promote manufacturing self-reliance and innovation.
Vande Bharat Sleeper service: A long-distance overnight train variant introduced to strengthen connectivity and provide premium rail travel options.
Ministry of Railways
Thanks to Rising Popularity, Vande Bharat Trains
Driving Demand for New Era of Fast,
Comfortable & Modern Rail Travel Across the
Country
With About 34 Percent Growth, Nearly 4 Crore Passengers
Travelled with Vande Bharat Express in FY 2025–26
Over 9.1 Crore Passengers Served by these High Speed
Trains in About 1 Lakh Trips Since Inception
More Travel in High-demand Routes like New Delhi–Varanasi,
New Delhi–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Secunderabad–
Visakhapatnam and Chennai–Mysuru Boost Tourism and
Regional Connectivity
Vande Bharat Sleeper Service Achieves Over 100 Percent
Occupancy with 1.21 Lakh Passengers in Initial Three Months
With Enhanced Speed, Safety Features and Passenger
Comfort, Indigenously Designed Vande Bharat Express
Advancing Make in India Vision
Posted On: 10 APR 2026 7:55PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Railways has witnessed a remarkable surge in passenger patronage on the Vande Bharat Express
network, with approximately 3.98 crore passengers travelling in FY 2025–26 alone, marking a robust
year-on-year growth of nearly 34 percent from 2.97 crore passengers in FY 2024–25. This sharp rise
highlights the growing preference for fast, comfortable, and modern rail travel among passengers across
the country. Since its inception, the Vande Bharat Express has served over 9.1 crore passengers through 1
lakh trips, reflecting widespread public trust and sustained demand.
Indian Railways continues to redefine passenger travel with the Vande Bharat Express, India’s first
indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high-speed train. Launched on the New Delhi–Varanasi
route in February 2019, the service has evolved into a nationwide network symbolising speed, comfort,
and self-reliance under the Make in India initiative.The New Delhi–Varanasi route remains the busiest, having recorded over 73 lakh passengers so far. The
New Delhi–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra route has served approximately 56 lakh passengers,
underlining its importance for pilgrimage travel. In southern India, the Secunderabad–Visakhapatnam
route has served more than 48 lakh passengers, while the Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. MGR Central (Chennai)–
Mysuru route has catered to over 36 lakh passengers, reflecting strong regional demand. These services
have also emerged as vital enablers of tourism, improving access to key religious, cultural, and coastal
destinations while boosting local economies and visitor footfall.
Further strengthening long-distance connectivity, Indian Railways introduced the Vande Bharat Sleeper
service in January 2026. In just the first three months of operation, the service carried 1.21 lakh
passengers across 119 trips, achieving an occupancy rate of over 100 percent, indicating strong demand
and increasing passenger confidence in premium overnight rail travel.
The Vande Bharat Express stands as a testament to Indian Railways’ commitment to innovation,
passenger-centric service, and indigenous manufacturing. With continued expansion connecting metros,
pilgrimage destinations, heritage cities, and emerging economic hubs, along with the addition of the
Sleeper variant, Indian Railways is steadily advancing towards providing faster, safer, and more
comfortable journeys, with the Vande Bharat Express leading the transformation of modern rail travel in
India.
*****
Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki/ Ritu Raj
(Release ID: 2250963) Visitor Counter : 248
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