Vande Bharat Ticket Price: Fares by Route

All fares on this page are from IRCTC’s fare enquiry for one adult, General quota, checked on 11 November 2026.

Vande Bharat Express fares on popular routes

With meal is the total IRCTC quotes. No food is that total minus the catering charge in IRCTC’s fare breakdown. Fares are for the full route in the direction shown; shorter journeys on the same train cost less.

The meal is a big part of the price. On Howrah–Puri, catering is ₹363 of the ₹1,485 CC fare, about a quarter. On Mumbai–Goa it is only ₹156. Even the two New Delhi–Varanasi trains differ (₹363 on 22436 vs ₹307 on 22416), as they leave at different times of day and serve different meals.

What you pay for: a real Vande Bharat Express fare breakdown

This is IRCTC’s breakdown for Howrah to Puri (22895), one adult:

Vande Bharat has no dynamic or flexi fare. The Ministry of Railways says there is no plan to bring dynamic fares to Vande Bharat Chair Car or Sleeper trains, and IRCTC showed a dynamic fare of ₹0 on every Vande Bharat train we checked. Source: PIB, February 2026 For every Vande Bharat train we checked, the dynamic fare was ₹0, so the price does not rise as seats fill up. The fare is the same whether you book early or late. Availability is what changes.

Longer journeys cost less per km. The CC base fare works out to about ₹1.96 per km on the 502 km Howrah–Puri run, but about ₹1.71 per km on the 771 km New Delhi–Varanasi run.

Why is Vande Bharat Express more expensive?

The base fare is set higher than Shatabdi. The Ministry of Railways sets the Vande Bharat base fare at 1.4 times Shatabdi in CC and 1.3 times in EC. Source: PIB

IRCTC’s fares on the same Howrah–Puri route show this. On 11 November 2026:

The Vande Bharat base fare is about 1.4 times Shatabdi’s, as the Ministry says. But Shatabdi adds a dynamic fare when demand is high, so the total difference can be small. Without meals, Vande Bharat came out slightly cheaper on this date (₹1,122 vs about ₹1,135), and it is over an hour faster.

AC fares have also gone up twice since 2025. Indian Railways raised AC fares, including Vande Bharat, by 2 paise per km from 1 July 2025 and by another 2 paise per km for tickets booked from 26 December 2025. July 2025 revision · December 2025 revision

CC vs EC price difference on Vande Bharat trains

EC costs about 1.8 to 1.9 times the CC fare on the same train. On Howrah–Puri that is ₹2,665 against ₹1,485 with meals. EC has wider 2+2 seating, while CC has 3+2. See CC vs EC.

Vande Bharat Sleeper ticket price

Vande Bharat Sleeper fares work differently: one all-inclusive price per km, with no separate reservation, superfast or catering charge.

New Delhi to Varanasi Sleeper (27422), 758 km, IRCTC, 11 November 2026:

These match the Ministry’s rates of ₹2.40 per km for 3A and up to ₹3.80 per km. The Ministry says food is included in the Sleeper fare and there are no RAC tickets. Source: PIB, March 2026 · PIB, January 2026

On the same route, a 3A berth on the overnight Sleeper (₹1,915) costs only ₹80 more than a CC seat on the daytime Chair Car 22436 (₹1,835 with meal). See the Delhi–Varanasi Sleeper.

How to check the exact Vande Bharat Express fare

1. Open IRCTC and enter your From and To stations and travel date.
2. Find the Vande Bharat train in the results.
3. Click CC or EC (or 3A/2A/1A for Sleeper). The fare appears with availability for the next few days. You do not need to log in to see it.
4. While booking, choosing a meal or No Food changes the total. The final amount is shown before payment.

Full steps are in our Vande Bharat booking guide.

Vande Bharat ticket price FAQs

What is the ticket price of Vande Bharat Express? For a full journey of about 500 to 770 km, CC costs about ₹1,400 to ₹1,850 and EC about ₹2,500 to ₹3,400, including a meal. See the route table above for exact fares.

What is the Howrah to Puri Vande Bharat ticket price? ₹1,485 in CC and ₹2,665 in EC with a meal, or ₹1,122 and ₹2,247 with No Food (IRCTC, 11 November 2026).

Does the Vande Bharat ticket price include food? On Chair Car trains, only if you choose a meal while booking. The meal costs ₹156 to ₹433 depending on the train and class. On Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, food is included in the fare.

Does the Vande Bharat fare go up closer to the date? No. Vande Bharat has no dynamic fare, so the price stays the same. Only seat availability changes.

Is Vande Bharat costlier than Shatabdi? The base fare is about 1.4 times Shatabdi’s in CC. Shatabdi can add a dynamic fare, so on busy days the totals can be close.

What is the Vande Bharat fare per km? The CC base fare is about ₹1.70 to ₹2.00 per km, lower on longer journeys. Sleeper 3A is ₹2.40 per km before GST.

Is there a general (unreserved) ticket on Vande Bharat? No. Vande Bharat trains have only reserved classes (CC and EC, or 3A, 2A and 1A on Sleeper trains), so you need a reserved ticket.

Sources

Route fares and breakdowns: IRCTC fare enquiry, 11 November 2026. Fare rules: Vande Bharat fare structure (PIB) · Fare revision, July 2025 · Fare revision, December 2025 · Vande Bharat Sleeper fares (PIB). This is an independent passenger guide. Report a correction.