Commercial operations of Guwahati–Howrah Vande Bharat sleeper to begin soon

Commercial operations of the Guwahati–Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper Express are set to begin shortly, following its recent flag-off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, railway officials said.

The country’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train was flagged off last week, marking a major milestone in Indian Railways’ push towards modern, long-distance passenger services. While the exact date for commencement of regular commercial services is yet to be finalised, bookings are expected to open soon, officials indicated.

The train is designed to operate overnight between Kamakhya and Howrah, significantly reducing travel time and offering enhanced comfort. According to the railway circular issued on January 8, the train will run three days a week. Train No. 20275 will depart from Kamakhya station at 6.15 pm and reach Howrah at 8.15 am the next morning, covering the 972-kilometre journey in 14 hours. The return service, Train No. 20276, will leave Howrah at 6.20 pm and arrive at Kamakhya at 8.20 am the following day.

The Guwahati–Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper will halt at 13 stations en route, including Rangiya, New Bongaigaon, New Alipurduar, New Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri Road, New Jalpaiguri, Azadpur Road, Malda Town, New Farakka, Azimganj, Katwa, Nabadwip Dham and Bandel.

Officials said the train will be the fastest on the Guwahati–Howrah sector, surpassing the existing Saraighat Express, which takes around 16 hours and 23 minutes to complete the journey.

The fare structure has also been notified. Passengers will have to pay Rs 1,520 for AC First Class, Rs 1,240 for AC Two-Tier and Rs 960 for AC Three-Tier for the full journey, with fares calculated on a per-kilometre basis. The per-kilometre charges have been fixed at Rs 3.80 for AC First Class, Rs 3.10 for AC Two-Tier and Rs 2.40 for AC Three-Tier.

The sleeper train set comprises 16 air-conditioned coaches, including one AC First Class coach, four AC Two-Tier coaches and eleven AC Three-Tier coaches. With a total capacity of around 823 passengers, the train is aimed at providing a safe, comfortable and efficient overnight travel option.

Railway officials described the Vande Bharat Sleeper as a key pillar of India’s passenger rail modernisation programme. The Railways plans to scale up the Vande Bharat fleet to around 4,500 trains in the coming years, with an initial focus on introducing about 800 Vande Bharat trains by 2030, subject to infrastructure capacity.

The launch of the Guwahati–Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper is expected to significantly improve rail connectivity between the Northeast and eastern India, benefiting passengers through faster travel and world-class onboard amenities.