The first commercial journey of the Vande Bharat sleeper train, departing from Kamakhya in Assam and Howrah in West Bengal, is scheduled for Thursday. The Kamakhya-Howrah-Kamakhya Express comprises 16 coaches, offering three classes of travel: third AC, second AC, and first AC.
The service has received an enthusiastic response, with tickets for all classes sold out in less than 24 hours after bookings opened. A statement from Railways said all seats were booked within a few hours of booking opening through PRS and other sites. The quick booking of seats clearly reflects the eagerness of the passengers, the statement added.
The journey takes 14 hours, and the train will leave Kamakhya at 18:15 hrs and reach Howrah at 08:15 hrs the next day.
The service is expected to significantly improve traffic between Northeast and Eastern India. The train will offer modern amenities, improved travel times, and a world-class overnight travel experience.
Only confirmed tickets
As per Railway norms, only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed to board the train. Passengers with RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation), waitlisted or partially confirmed tickets will not be permitted to board Vande Bharat Sleeper trains.
The passengers of Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrut Bharat 2 trains will also not get any refund if they cancel their confirmed tickets eight hours before the scheduled departure time. According to a notification issued by the Railway Ministry on January 16, the cancellation fee for these trains will be 25 per cent of the fare, provided the confirmed tickets are cancelled within 72 hours.
The ministry has amended the Railway Passengers (Ticket Cancellation and Refund) Rules, 2015, and notified stricter rules for the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express as well as the Amrit Bharat 2 trains. As with other trains, 'confirmed' tickets will not be eligible for a refund if they are cancelled less than four hours before the scheduled departure time.
As for catering services, the IRCTC will provide a one-litre ‘Rail Neer’ packaged drinking water bottle and a newspaper to all passengers, at free of cost. Apart from these, the IRCTC will provide catering services to all passengers of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, based on the journey duration between each origin–destination (O–D) pair of stations.