Costly affair | Vande Bharat sleeper train ticket cancellation rule explained

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the country's first Vande Bharat sleeper train between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya) from Malda Town station in north Bengal on January 19.

He also virtually flagged off the return Guwahati–Howrah Vande Bharat sleeper train from here.

The railways have mentioned there will be stricter rules for ticket cancellations for Vande Bharat sleeper trains.

As per a report by The Times Of India, if a confirmed ticket is cancelled more than 72 hours before the departure time, there will be a 25 per cent deduction in the refund amount.

If the ticket is cancelled between 72 hours and upto eight hours before the departure, there will be 50 per cent cancellation charge.

However, there will be no refund if the ticket is cancelled less than eight hours before the departure time.

Additionally, if the ticket is not cancelled, or if Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) is not filed upto eight hours before the travel time, there will be no refund.

As for the ticket prices, the passengers will be charged at a rate of Rs 2.4 per km for 3AC, Rs 3.1 per km for 2AC and Rs 3.8 per km for first AC. So, the minimum fare of a Vande Bharat sleeper train, which is up to 400-km distance, will be Rs 960 for 3AC, Rs 1,240 for 2AC and Rs 1,520 for 1AC. Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be levied separately, the Railway Ministry said in a statement.

Similarly, for 1,000 km distance — between the launch route of Howrah and Guwahati — the fare will be Rs 2,400 for 3AC, Rs 3,100 for 2AC, and Rs 3,800 for 1AC. For a 2,000-km distance, the fares are Rs 4,800 for 3AC, Rs 6,200 for 2AC and Rs 7,600 for 3AC.

Prices go up noticeably on longer routes. Up to 1,600 km will cost Rs 3,840 in 3AC, Rs 4,960 in 2AC, and Rs 6,080 in 1AC.

Developed to meet the growing transportation needs of modern India, the fully AC Vande Bharat sleeper train would offer passengers an “airline-like travel experience at economical fares,” a statement issued by the PMO had stated.

"By significantly reducing travel time by around 2.5 hours on the Howrah-Guwahati route, the train will also give a major boost to religious travel and tourism,” the statement added.

(With PTI and DHNS inputs)