Fares of Train 18 reduced
Train 18 has reduced its fare from New Delhi to Varanasi and vice versa. As per the initial ticket fare from the national capital to Varanasi, Vande Bharat Express or Train 18's air conditioned chair car ticket would cost Rs 1,850 and the executive class fare will be Rs 3,520, including the catering service charges. The revised fare, however, would require you to pay only Rs 1,760 for the Chair Car (CC) and Rs 3,310 for the Executive Class (EC), inclusive of taxes, a railway ministry official said.
Similarly, on its return journey (from Varanasi to New Delhi), the hair car ticket will cost Rs 1,700 and the executive car ticket will be priced at Rs 3,260. The initial ticket fare for the same required the passengers to pay Rs 1,795 for the chair car and Rs Rs 3,470 for the executive car.
For travelling between New Delhi and Varanasi by Train 18 -- rechristened as Vande Bharat Express -- which is scheduled to make its maiden run on February 15 -- the passengers will have to shell out 30-40 per cent higher fare than they do for Shatabdi Express, Railway Ministry officials said on Monday.
According to a railway official, CC fares are about 1.4 times the base price of Shatabdi Express trains covering the same distance, while the fares of EC are 1.3 times that of the base fare for First Class air-conditioned seating.
The fares for Delhi-Kanpur journey by Vande Bharat Express has been fixed at Rs 1,090 for CC and Rs 2,105 for EC, and between Delhi and Prayagraj, they would be Rs 1,395 and Rs 2,750, respectively.
He said that between Kanpur and Prayagraj, the fares for CC would be Rs 595 and for EC Rs 1,170.
A journey between Kanpur and Varanasi in CC would cost Rs 1,020 and in EC Rs 1,815.
Passengers travelling from New Delhi to Varanasi in EC would be charged Rs 399 for morning tea, breakfast and lunch, while those opting for CC would need to pay Rs 344 for the same.
Similarly, the passengers travelling from New Delhi to Kanpur and Prayagraj will have to pay Rs 155 and Rs 122 for EC and CC, respectively.
From Varanasi to New Delhi, the passengers would be charged Rs 349 and Rs 288 in the EC and CC, respectively. They will be served evening tea with snacks and dinner.
The official also said that no concession and child fare shall be allowed in this train. "Only full fare adult tickets shall be issued," he said, adding that the passes of the Members of Parliament and MLAs, other coupons, military/ para-military warrants etc., having full reimbursable fare shall be allowed.
The much-awaited indigenously built engineless Vande Bharat Express will make its commercial debut on February 15 between New Delhi and Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to the railway officials, Modi will flag off the the new train at 10 a.m on February 15 from New Delhi Railway Station.
Train 18 recently became India's fastest train, hitting a speed of over 180 kmph during a trial run.
It would soon start replacing the Shatabdi Express trains and run between Delhi and Varanasi.
(With agency inputs)
