Indian Railways: Vande Bharat Sleeper to start services this month; know route, rates

New Delhi: The launch of the country's first Vande Bharat sleeper train has been announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. This train will run between Assam and West Bengal from this month. 

What do we know about the Vande Bharat sleeper?

The first Vande Bharat sleeper train, which will run between Guwahati and Kolkata, will have a relatively small difference in fares between the Third AC and First AC classes. Currently, in many trains, the fare difference between these two classes is almost two and a half times, while in the sleeper Vande Bharat train, this difference will be approximately one and a half times. This will provide significant relief to passengers.

What has the Railway Ministry said?

The country's first sleeper Vande Bharat train will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the end of this month.

"The fare for 3-AC in the Vande Bharat sleeper will be approximately ₹2,300, 2-AC approximately ₹3,000, and 1-AC approximately ₹3,600, including food. The fare has been decided keeping the middle class in mind," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during a press briefing. 

The fare will also be significantly lower than air travel.

The minister said that the train will start running in the next 15-20 days, perhaps around January 18th, as a request has been sent to the Prime Minister for the inauguration. 

"I will announce the exact date in the next two to three days," Vaishnaw said. 

He described this development as a major milestone for the country. Vaishnaw said the 16-coach train between Guwahati and Kolkata has a capacity of 823 passengers and a design speed of 180 kilometers per hour. 

However, it will operate at a speed of 120-130 km per hour between the two cities, covering specific districts of Assam and West Bengal.

Speaking about the train, Vaishnaw said that the airfare for travel between Guwahati and Kolkata is approximately ₹6,000 to ₹8,000. However, the Railway Minister said that the new Vande Bharat train between the two states will be more cost-effective, with fares per kilometer being ₹3.8 for 1AC, ₹3.1 for 2AC, and ₹2.4 for 3AC. The 16-coach train has 11 3-AC coaches, four 2-AC coaches, and one 1-AC coach. Of the total 823 berths, 611 are in 3-AC, 188 in 2-AC, and 24 in 1-AC.

According to the minister, production is being ramped up, and eight more trains will be ready for operation in six months. 

"By the end of this year, 12 trains will be ready. From next year onwards, production will increase rapidly as the entire supply chain will be in place by then," the minister said. 

Regarding catering facilities, Vaishnaw said that trains originating from Guwahati will serve Assamese cuisine, while those originating from Kolkata will offer Bengali food.