(MENAFN) A collaborative venture between Russian and Indian companies has revealed the initial design of a cutting-edge high-speed sleeper coach at the International Railway Equipment Exhibition held in New Delhi.

Kinet, a joint enterprise formed by Russian rolling stock manufacturers and the Indian government-owned Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), focuses on the production and upkeep of 120 Indian ‘Vande Bharat’ high-speed trains. This partnership aims to significantly boost India’s high-speed rail capabilities.

According to Nishunk Garg, project director at Kinet Railway Solutions, the first prototype is slated for unveiling in June 2026, with production scheduled to commence by the end of December.

Garg conveyed this information to a media outlet, emphasizing the importance of this achievement in India’s rail advancement.

Garg also revealed that the car body of the inaugural sleeper coach has already been completed at Kinet’s manufacturing plant in Latur, Maharashtra.

The joint venture secured the contract by submitting the most competitive bid of 1.2 billion rupees ($14.61 million) per train, outperforming prominent competitors like Germany’s Siemens, France’s Alstom Transport, and Switzerland’s Stadler Rail.

The company aims to launch the first Vande Bharat sleeper coach train by the coming year.

Garg confirmed that the car body of one coach has been fabricated at the Latur factory and will be used for demonstration purposes.

Trains produced through this collaboration will serve the Indian Railways' Vande Bharat program, which began in 2019 with the objective of modernizing long-distance travel routes and improving transportation efficiency across the country.

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