No Tatkal Quota or Dynamic Pricing in Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains; Ticket Booking Rules Explained

New Delhi: Indian Railways has ruled out the Tatkal booking facility for Vande Bharat Sleeper Express trains, allowing passengers to reserve berths only during the Advance Reservation Period (ARP). The move is aimed at encouraging advance travel planning, with all berths available under the general reservation quota. Furthermore, the train will not use dynamic or flexi-fare pricing.

Dr Shivam Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of North Central Railway (NCR), told the media that the trains do not have a Tatkal quota to facilitate advance travel planning.

“There is no Tatkal quota in Vande Bharat Sleeper to facilitate more passengers to plan their journey in advance. All the berths are open under the general quota so that more passengers may benefit from planning in advance,” he said.

Developed by BEML using technology from Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the premium semi-high-speed train is designed to operate at a maximum speed of 180 kmph. Each train comprises 16 coaches, including 11 AC 3-tier coaches, four AC 2-tier coaches and one First AC coach.

The train has a total passenger capacity of 823, comprising 611 passengers in AC 3-tier, 188 in AC 2-tier and 24 in First AC.

According to the Railway Board, only passengers holding confirmed tickets will be permitted to travel on Vande Bharat Sleeper Express trains. Passengers with Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC), waitlisted or partially confirmed tickets will not be allowed to board.

Currently, three pairs of Vande Bharat Sleeper Express trains are operational across the country. These include:

• Train No. 27575/27576: Howrah–Kamakhya–Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper
• Train No. 27421/27422: Varanasi–New Delhi–Varanasi Vande Bharat Sleeper
• Train No. 27651/27652: SMVT Bengaluru–CSMT Mumbai–SMVT Bengaluru Vande Bharat Sleeper

Vande Bharat Sleeper Ticket Cancellation Rules

Indian Railways has also specified cancellation charges for confirmed Vande Bharat Sleeper tickets, with refunds subject to deductions based on the time of cancellation.

The cancellation rules are as follows:

1. More than 72 hours before departure: A cancellation charge of 25% of the fare will be deducted, and the remaining amount will be refunded.
2. Between 72 hours and 8 hours before departure: A cancellation charge of 50% of the fare will be deducted, with the balance refunded.
3. Less than 8 hours before departure: No refund will be granted.

Passengers planning to travel on Vande Bharat Sleeper Express trains should therefore book in advance and carefully check the cancellation timelines, as tickets cancelled within eight hours of departure are not eligible for a refund.

DeshGujarat