The Railway Board has announced that the upcoming Vande Bharat sleeper trains will operate exclusively with confirmed tickets, with no provision for RAC, waitlisted, or partially confirmed bookings. The clarification was issued through a recent circular outlining the commercial and reservation guidelines for the new sleeper service.

According to the circular, the minimum chargeable distance for travel on Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be 400 km. Passengers travelling any distance up to this limit will be charged a fixed fare, while journeys beyond this distance will be calculated on a per-kilometre basis.

The Railway Board stated, “Goods and Services Tax as applicable shall be levied separately. Minimum chargeable distance shall be 400 km. Rounding off of fare shall be made as per the existing principle. Only confirmed tickets shall be issued for this train. Accordingly, there shall be no provision for RAC/waitlisted/partially confirmed tickets.”

The fare structure has been defined across three classes, AC 1, AC 2 and AC 3. For travel up to the minimum chargeable distance, passengers will pay a fixed amount for a confirmed berth in each class. Beyond this range, fares will be calculated per kilometre at different rates for each class, as specified by the Railway Board.

In terms of reservations, the circular clarified that only select quotas will be applicable. These include the Ladies quota, quota for Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizen quota, and Duty Pass quota, in line with existing instructions. “No other reservation quota shall be applicable in this train,” the circular added.

Guidelines have also been issued for berth allocation. The system will attempt to allot lower berths to eligible passengers, including senior citizens and women of a specified age group, subject to availability. In cases where passengers are travelling with children who do not require a separate berth, the system will also try to assign a lower berth wherever possible.

Officials noted that the commercial circular may undergo minor changes, which will be communicated to the public in due course. Details regarding the commencement of regular commercial operations for passengers are expected to be shared through an official notification.