Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the country's second Sleeper Vande Bharat Express train from Banaras railway station. This modern sleeper train directly connects Kashi with the national capital, New Delhi. On the occasion of the inauguration, the Banaras station premises were decorated with flowers and garlands, where the train was dispatched towards New Delhi in the presence of dignitaries.

Regarding the regular operating schedule and route, the train will depart from Banaras at 8:50 PM. During its journey, the train will halt at Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh, and Ghaziabad railway stations before reaching New Delhi at 6:10 AM the following morning. This overnight journey will provide a fast and convenient travel option for passengers commuting between Varanasi and New Delhi.

According to the train's composition and capacity, the complete rake consists of 16 coaches. It includes First AC, Second AC, and Third AC class coaches. Approximately 800 passengers can travel together aboard this train. Multiple modern upgrades have been incorporated inside the train for passenger convenience and safety.

In the Third AC coaches, similar to conventional trains, there is an arrangement of three berths on one side (lower, middle, and upper) and two berths on the other side. Dedicated push-button reading lamps, mobile holders, and charging sockets with USB Type-C connectors are installed for every seat. Newly designed and more comfortable ladders have been fitted to access the upper berths. A dedicated space for placing wheelchairs has been created near the coach entrance for Divyangjan passengers. Additionally, a separate sleeping berth has been provided for the train attendant. To ensure passenger security, CCTV cameras are mounted at every coach entrance gate to record the movement of individuals boarding and deboarding. In the pantry section, modern arrangements have been made to heat food and serve meals using trays, similar to airlines. The toilets offer both Indian and Western options, featuring external vacant indicator lights that turn red when locked from the inside and remain green when vacant.

In the Second AC coaches, curtains have been installed for passenger privacy. The layout includes a main compartment accommodating four passengers for sitting and sleeping, alongside two berths on the side. Every berth is equipped with reading lamps, AC vents, mobile holders, and charging points.

In the First AC coach, four-passenger coupes and two-passenger couple coupes have been constructed. Closing the doors of these compartments provides room-like complete privacy. Inside the coupes, an attendant call button, switch panels, a dustbin, bottle holders, a table, and a sturdy ladder for reaching the upper berth are provided. A prominent feature of First AC is its transparent switch. Pressing this button turns the glass transparent, and releasing it makes the glass opaque, providing complete privacy to passengers. In addition, push-and-pull curtains are fitted, and an adjustable mechanism allows berths to be expanded or narrowed.

During the ceremony, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw met school children inside the Second AC coach. The children showed them posters and drawings related to Viksit Banaras, following which the leaders interacted with them and distributed chocolates.

Sharing details about train manufacturing, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the production of Sleeper Vande Bharat trains is progressing rapidly. He mentioned that based on the operational experience gained from running the first train, necessary improvements were made. Similarly, further refinements will be carried out based on feedback from the second and third trains. Following this, mass production of Sleeper Vande Bharat trains will commence, under which orders for 50 to 60 trains will be placed at once. According to the Railway Minister, just as the Vande Bharat chair car connected every corner of the country, rail connectivity across the nation will be expanded through Sleeper Vande Bharat trains as well. In addition, according to the video, the inauguration of another Sleeper Vande Bharat train is scheduled in Bengaluru.