Indian Railways to flag off first Vande Bharat sleeper train | Check features, fare and other details

Indian Railways' first sleeper-class Vande Bharat train, scheduled to operate between Assam's Guwahati and West Bengal's Howrah, is all set to be inaugurated on Saturday, January 17, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union minister of railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said the new train would represent a significant milestone for the Indian Railways, its passengers and the nation as a whole.

West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Monday said the PM would flag off the train. This would significantly boost connectivity over the northern districts of West Bengal, he said, as per news agency PTI.

The fare from Howrah to Kamakhya in Third AC (3AC) category has been set at ₹2,299. From Howrah to New Jalpaiguri, it will, be ₹1,334, and from Howrah to Malda Town, ₹960, railway officials said.

In Second AC (2AC) category, the fare from Howrah to Kamakhya will be ₹2,970. In the same category, from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri, it will be ₹1,724, and from Howrah to Malda Town, ₹1,240.

For those opting for First AC (1AC) category, the fare from Howrah to Kamakhya will be ₹3,640, while from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri, it will be ₹2,113, and to Malda Town, ₹1,520.

Between Kamakhya and Malda Town, the fare in Third AC category is ₹1,522, in second AC ₹1,965, and in first AC ₹2,409. Meanwhile, between Kamakhya and New Jalpaiguri, the third AC fare is ₹962, second AC ₹1,243, and first AC ₹1,524.

For fare determination in this premium Vande Bharat Sleeper train of Indian Railways, a minimum distance of 400 kilometres has been set and passengers will have to pay 5 per cent GST on the ticket fare. A report by The Indian Express also referred to a January 9 circular that said that this Vande Bharat sleeper express will drop the reservation against cancellation (RAC) system option from its ticket booking system; this was not confirmed by HT.