India's first Vande Bharat Sleeper train starts today: Route, fares, timing

India's first Vande Bharat Sleeper begins commercial service today on the Kamakhya-Howrah route, offering faster travel, modern amenities and premium sleeper coaches across three AC classes

India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train begins its commercial operations on Thursday (January 22). Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the semi-high-speed train on January 17 and has already seen strong passenger interest.

 

The Kamakhya–Howrah–Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper Express runs between Kamakhya in Guwahati and Howrah near Kolkata. The train has 16 coaches and offers three classes of travel -- Third AC, Second AC and First AC.

 

It is designed as a long-distance overnight service with sleeper berths across all classes.

 

The Vande Bharat Sleeper will complete the journey in 14 hours, making it the fastest train on this route. At present, the Saraighat Express is the fastest service, taking 16 hours and 23 minutes. With the new train, the railway travel time on this route is reduced by more than three hours.

 

Ticket fares and price difference

 

The fares, including GST, for the full journey between Kamakhya and Howrah are:

• ₹2,435 for AC 3

• ₹3,145 for AC 2

• ₹3,855 for AC 1

 

Compared to the Saraighat Express, the fares are higher by 72 per cent for AC 3, 58 per cent for AC 2, and 16 per cent for AC 1.

 

Railway officials said the higher fare is due to better passenger amenities, enhanced safety features and modern facilities offered by the Vande Bharat Sleeper, which are not available on other trains.

 

Commercial operations schedule

 

According to Indian Railways, train number 27576 Kamakhya-Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper Express will start commercial operations from January 22. The return service, train number 27575 Howrah-Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, will begin from January 23.

 

The Kamakhya-Howrah service will run every day except Wednesday, while the Howrah-Kamakhya service will operate daily except Thursday. Two rakes have been dedicated to the route to ensure smooth and regular operations.   

 

First commercial run fully booked

 

All tickets for the train’s first commercial journey were sold out within a few hours, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.

 

“All seats got booked within a few hours after the reservation was opened,” the statement said.

 

“The fully booked status within hours stands as a strong testament to the trust and excitement of passengers towards modern train services being introduced by Indian Railways, marking a new chapter in premium rail connectivity for the region,” it added.

 

Fare structure and minimum distance rule

 

Ticket prices for the Vande Bharat Sleeper are slightly higher than premium trains like the Rajdhani Express. Passengers will be charged a minimum fare for 400 km, even if their journey distance is shorter.

 

The per-kilometre fares are:

• ₹2.4 per km for 3AC

• ₹3.1 per km for 2AC

• ₹3.8 per km for 1AC

 

For the minimum distance of 400 km, fares work out to:

• ₹960 for 3AC

• ₹1,240 for 2AC

• ₹1,520 for 1AC

 

GST will be charged separately.

 

(With agency inputs)