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Indian Railways to flag off first Vande Bharat sleeper train | Check features, fare and other details
Indian Railways' first Vande Bharat sleeper train between Guwahati and Howrah is set to launch this Saturday and expected to enhance regional connectivity.
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.
Key points about India's first sleeper Vande Bharat:
- The Howrah-Guwahati sleeper Vande Bharat would connect key districts in the two states including Kamrup metropolitan and Bongaigaon in Assam and Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Maldah, Murshidabad, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, and Howrah in West Bengal.
- This train will run on the 958-kilometre Howrah-Kamakhya (Guwahati) route, railway officials said.
- The train would have a total of 16 coaches including 11 three-tier AC coaches, 4 two-tier AC coaches, and 1 first-class AC coach, with a total capacity of around 823 passengers.
- The Vande Bharat sleeper train will be decked up with newly designed bogies with new design parameters and suspension. The interior will have an ergonomic design, with special parameters implemented throughout for safety and security, the circular read.
- The Vande Bharat sleeper train passengers will be able to opt for region-specific culinary offerings. The catering will offer an authentic Assamese cuisine while originating from Guwahati and traditional Bengali delicacies while commencing its journey from Kolkata.
- Apart from these, the train will also offer other features like automatic doors with vestibules for smooth movement, Kavach anti-collision technology; emergency talk-back system, special arrangements for the physically challenged, and CCTVs in all coaches, among others.
Fare structure for the train:
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.
