Bhubaneswar, Jan. 8 -- The Indian Railways has decided to continue large-scale production of Vande Bharat chair car coaches, reversing its earlier plan to cap manufacturing at 120 train sets. The move could directly benefit states like Odisha, with six Vande Bharat Express trains currently operating in and through the state.

According to a fresh Railway Board order, 1,500 Vande Bharat chair car coaches, equivalent to 88 rakes, will be manufactured over four years from 2026-27 to 2029-30. Of these, 720 coaches will be produced at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, while the remaining units will be built at Kapurthala and Raebareli.

Railway officials indicated that the expanded production will support the phased replacement of age...