India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train launched on Howrah–Guwahati route

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off the country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya) from Malda Town station in north Bengal.

He also virtually flagged off the return Guwahati–Howrah Vande Bharat sleeper train from the station.

During the launch, Modi interacted with children and school students inside the train.

Developed to meet the growing transportation needs of modern India, the fully air-conditioned Vande Bharat sleeper train will offer passengers an “airline-like travel experience at economical fares,” according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The train is expected to make long-distance journeys faster, safer and more convenient, the statement said.

“By significantly reducing travel time by around 2.5 hours on the Howrah-Guwahati route, the train will also give a major boost to religious travel and tourism,” it added.

Later in the day, at a public programme in Malda, the prime minister is scheduled to dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple rail and road infrastructure projects worth Rs 3,250 crore.

The projects are aimed at strengthening connectivity and accelerating development in Bengal and the North East.

Modi is on a two-day visit to eastern India and is scheduled to travel across poll-bound West Bengal and Assam, combining political engagements with infrastructure launches ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.