Vande Bharat Sleeper rules will require passengers to plan ahead, as the trains do not offer Tatkal bookings and only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed to board. RAC and waitlisted tickets will not be accepted, while cancellations made close to departure may result in a partial or no refund, according to a report by Aaj Tak Business citing Railway Board rules.
The trains will keep all available berths under the general quota, giving passengers the option to book during the advance reservation period. The arrangement removes the possibility of securing a last-minute Tatkal ticket for these services and makes advance planning particularly important for passengers travelling between major cities.
Passengers holding RAC or waitlisted tickets will not be permitted to board the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, the report said. This differs from the booking experience on several other long-distance train services, where RAC passengers can travel subject to berth availability and waitlisted tickets may be confirmed before departure.
At present, three pairs of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are operating, according to the report. These include the Howrah-Kamakhya-Howrah service numbered 27575/27576, the Varanasi-New Delhi-Varanasi service numbered 27421/27422, and the Bengaluru-Mumbai-Bengaluru service numbered 27651/27652.
The trains have been developed by public-sector company Bharat Earth Movers Limited, or BEML, using technology from Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory. They are designed for a maximum speed of 180 kmph and have 16 coaches in each trainset. The composition includes 11 AC three-tier coaches, four AC two-tier coaches and one First AC coach.
Each train can carry 823 passengers. The reported berth distribution consists of 611 berths in AC three-tier, 188 in AC two-tier and 24 in First AC. The configuration places the service in the premium overnight intercity segment, where seat availability and cancellation terms can directly affect travel planning and household transport costs.
The refund amount will depend on when a confirmed ticket is cancelled. A cancellation made more than 72 hours before the scheduled departure will attract a deduction of 25 per cent of the fare. If the ticket is cancelled between 72 hours and eight hours before departure, 50 per cent of the fare will be deducted.
No refund will be available when less than eight hours remain before the scheduled departure, according to the Railway Board rules cited in the report. Passengers changing their travel plans will therefore need to cancel before that deadline if they want to remain eligible for any refund. The booking and cancellation conditions apply to the Vande Bharat Sleeper services identified in the report.
