Ticket policy to luggage rules: India’s 1st Vande Bharat Sleeper train starts today – 5 things passengers must know

• Only confirmed ticket passengers will be allowed to travel

According to the Railway Board, only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed to board the train. The passengers with RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation), waitlisted or partially confirmed tickets will not be permitted to board the Kamakhya-Howrah-Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper train.

• Vande Bharat Sleeper ticket cancellation rules

In case of last-minute cancellation due to a change in travel plans, passengers will not be entitled to any fare refund. According to the Railway Board, if a confirmed ticket of Vande Bharat Sleeper Express is presented by the passenger or his representative for cancellation, the refund of fare shall be made after deducting cancellation charges from the fare as follows:

• if the ticket is presented for cancellation more than 72 hours in advance of the scheduled departure of the train, the cancellation charge shall be 25% of the fare
• if the ticket is presented for cancellation between 72 hours and upto 8 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, the cancellation charge shall be 50% of the fare
• if the ticket is presented for cancellation in less than 8 hours of the scheduled departure of the train, no refund shall be granted.

• IRCTC catering services

On Vande Bharat Sleeper train, the catering services will be provided as an integral part of services. 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. Here’s a look at the food menu on the Vande Bharat Sleeper train:

• Vande Bharat Sleeper train luggage rules

This is an important question about how much baggage is allowed while travelling on the Vande Bharat Sleeper train. Earlier this month, speaking to Indianexpress.com, Shibram Majhi, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Eastern Railway said that there has been no change in the luggage limit for the Vande Bharat Sleeper train till now. Thus, the passengers will have to follow the existing baggage rules while travelling.

As the Howrah-Guwahati Vande Bharat Sleeper train has only three classes of accommodation: First AC, Second AC and Third AC, the luggage allowance varies accordingly. The passengers travelling in First AC are permitted to carry up to 70 kg of luggage, while those in Second AC and Third AC can carry up to 50 kg and 40 kg, respectively. Here’s a look at the Indian Railways luggage rules:

• High-quality mill-made linen items

Passengers travelling on India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train will be provided with high-quality mill-made linen items onboard. The standard linen kit will include a bed sheet, a pillow cushion with cover, a wool-rich premium blanket with a blanket cover and a hand towel.