The Vande Bharat Express is India's indigenously designed and manufactured semi-high-speed train, built by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. Operating at speeds up to 160 km/h (with capability for 200 km/h), these electric multiple unit trains represent a major modernization of Indian Railways — the world's fourth-largest rail network with 68,000 km of track carrying 8+ billion passengers annually.
Multiple Vande Bharat trainsets are now operational across India, connecting cities within 800 km of each other. The trains feature air-conditioned chair car service, automatic doors, bio-vacuum toilets, GPS-based passenger information, and Wi-Fi. Over 100 trainsets have been ordered, with manufacturing capacity being expanded to private sector partners. The newer Vande Bharat Sleeper variant enables overnight journeys.
Vande Bharat represents Indian Railways' pivot from a colonial-era network to a modern rail system. India is also pursuing dedicated freight corridors, station modernization, and eventually true high-speed rail (the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project using Japanese Shinkansen technology). The indigenous development of Vande Bharat — rather than importing trains — builds domestic manufacturing capability and creates opportunities for export to other developing countries modernizing their rail systems.