How Popular Is Vande Bharat Sleeper Service? Which Routes Are Busiest?
Indian Railways has witnessed a remarkable surge in passenger occupancy 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.
New Delhi–Varanasi route remains the busiest
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.
Transformation of modern rail travel in India
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.