B'luru-Dharwad Vande Bharat starts on June 28, high fares may dampen enthusiasm

Railways announces schedule, fares and menu for the premium train that will run entirely in Karnataka.

A seat in the executive class of Karnataka's dedicated Vande Bharat Express that will link Bengaluru and Dharwad will cost upwards of Rs 2,000.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the train at the Dharwad railway station via video conference on Tuesday morning.

The train will ply six days a week, starting June 28 (there will be no service on Tuesdays).

On Monday, the South Western Railway notified the start of the premium train's regular service but the fares disappointed potential travellers.

Many said the fares were "too high" and "almost comparable" to flight tickets. A sleeper-class ticket costs Rs 300 and a three-tier AC ticket is priced at Rs 700. Bengaluru-Hubballi flight tickets cost Rs 3,000 apiece.

The Vande Bharat fare between KSR Bengaluru and Dharwad (train number 20661, 490 km) will be Rs 2,010. Curiously, the KSR Bengaluru-Hubballi fare (469 km) will be higher at Rs 2,180.

Also Read | 6 hrs 25 mins likely travel time for B'luru-Dharwad Vande Bharat train

An official in the Bengaluru railway division didn't immediately explain why the Bengaluru-Hubballi fare was higher than that between Bengaluru and Dharwad.

Some railway users suggested that travellers take a train to Dharwad and get down at Hubballi. They could save Rs 170.

In the return direction, the executive class fare from Dharwad to KSR Bengaluru will be even higher (Rs 2,440) while the Hubballi-KSR Bengaluru fare will be Rs 25 lower.

The Dharwad-Bengaluru leg will be costly because passengers will be served lunch plus tea/coffee while those aboard the *Bengaluru-Dharwad train will get only tea/coffee, snacks and breakfast.

While the IRCTC has listed the train on its online products, bookings will likely open around Monday midnight or later, a railway source said.

Asked whether the high fares would deter passengers, Kusuma Hariprasad, Additional Divisional Railway Manager (Administration), Bengaluru, replied in the negative. "This train is for those seeking luxury and comfort. We hope for a good response," she told DH.

The train will have 530 seats in seven chair cars in a 2+2 configuration and an executive class in a 3+2 configuration.

The fare will be composed of base fare, reservation charge, superfast charge and GST.
Children aged 5-11 years will be charged half the fare and given seats.

Timings

* Train No 20661 — KSR Bengaluru (5.45 am), Yeshwantpur (5.57 am), Davangere (9.17 am), Hubballi (11.35 pm) and Dharwad (12.10 pm).

* Train No 20662 — Dharwad (1.15 pm), Hubballi (1.40 pm), Davangere (3.40 pm), Yeshwantpur (7.15 pm) and KSR Bengaluru (7.45 pm).

What's on the menu?

Breakfast: Tea/coffee, mineral water, sweets, savouries, honey, juice, upma, idli vada, dosa, bread omelette, banana and curd.

Lunch: Full South/North India meals, plus banana/sweets/savouries/ice cream and mineral water.

Toiletries such as wet wipes and hand sanitiser will also be provided.