Railways finalises fare of first Vande Bharat sleeper train, 3AC Howrah-Guwahati ticket to cost Rs 2,299
Railways officials said that for the 958-km Howrah-Kamakhya route, a passenger would have to shell out Rs 2,970 for second AC and Rs 3,640 for first AC.
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 13, 2026 05:24 AM IST
The highest existing fare on Howrah-Guwahati (Kamakhya Junction) route – in Saraighat Express – is Rs 1,410 (3AC), Rs 1,985 (2AC) and Rs 3,320 (1AC). (Express Photo by Bobins Abraham)
The Railways has finalised the fare for the premium train, which is set to launch its sleeper format on January 17, officials said.
Railways officials said that for the 958-km Howrah-Kamakhya route, a passenger would have to shell out Rs 2,970 for second AC and Rs 3,640 for first AC.
The third AC ticket from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri will be Rs 1,334 while Howrah to Malda town journey would cost Rs 960. The second AC fare for the same trips would be Rs 1,724 and Rs 1,240, respectively. In first AC (1AC), the Railways will charge Rs 2,113 and Rs 1,520, respectively, for the two routes.
The officials further said the fare for Kamakhya to Malda Town will be Rs 1,522 (3AC), Rs 1,965 (2AC) and Rs 2,409 (3AC). For Kamakhya to New Jalpaiguri, the fare will be Rs 962 (3AC), Rs 1,243 (2AC) and Rs 1,524 (1AC). The passengers will also be charged 5% GST on the tickets.
The highest existing fare on Howrah-Guwahati (Kamakhya Junction) route – in Saraighat Express – is Rs 1,410 (3AC), Rs 1,985 (2AC) and Rs 3,320 (1AC).
On January 9, the Railway board issued a circular fixing the rate for the Vande Bharat sleeper trains. It also said that the minimum fare will be equivalent to what is charged for a 400-km distance.
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According to the circular, only confirmed tickets will be issued for this train, which will not have the provision of Reservation Against Cancellation or RAC tickets.
The train, first sleeper service in the premium Vande Bharat category, is scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is expected to reduce travel time by three hours vis-à-vis the existing express train service. It will cover 10 stops across seven districts of West Bengal – Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Bardhaman, Murshidabad, Malda, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar – and two districts (Kamrup metropolitan and Bongaigaon) in Assam.
Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with the Business Bureau of The Indian Express. He plays a critical role in covering India's massive infrastructure sectors, providing in-depth reporting on the connectivity lifelines of the nation.
Expertise & Focus Areas: Mishra’s journalism is focused on two of the country's most capital-intensive and public-facing ministries:
Ministry of Railways: Tracking the operations, safety, and development of India's vast railway network.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Covering policy decisions, infrastructure projects, and highway development.
What sets Mishra apart is his rigorous use of the Right to Information (RTI) Actas a primary tool for news gathering. By relying on official data and government records, he ensures a high degree of accuracy and trustworthiness in his reporting. This data-driven approach has resulted in numerous impactful reports that hold public institutions accountable and bring transparency to government operations.
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