Delhi – Varanasi Vande Bharat Express

Timetable and fares last checked 11 November 2026.

Choose your train

New Delhi → Varanasi

Varanasi → New Delhi

All four trains have CC and EC classes. They use New Delhi (NDLS), not Hazrat Nizamuddin or Anand Vihar, and Varanasi Jn (BSB), not Banaras (BSBS).

This was the first Vande Bharat Express route. The first train, built by ICF Chennai, was flagged off on New Delhi–Varanasi on 15 February 2019 (PIB); the route is run today by 22435/22436, with 22415/22416 as the second pair. See the Vande Bharat history.

22436 New Delhi to Varanasi timetable

22416 New Delhi to Varanasi timetable

22415 Varanasi to New Delhi timetable

22435 Varanasi to New Delhi timetable

All stops are on the same day. The two pairs are listed with slightly different distances (771 km and 760 km) in railway timetables. For live running status, use NTES with the train number.

Delhi to Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket price

Fares for New Delhi to Varanasi, one adult, IRCTC, 11 November 2026:

The two trains cost slightly different amounts because of the meal charge and the listed distance. Vande Bharat has no dynamic fare, so the price does not rise as seats fill up. See how Vande Bharat ticket prices work.

Chair Car or Sleeper?

Since November 2026, a Vande Bharat Sleeper (27421/27422) also runs overnight between New Delhi and Varanasi with 3A, 2A and 1A berths. A 3A berth from New Delhi to Varanasi costs ₹1,915, only ₹80 more than a CC seat on 22436, and you travel overnight instead of spending a day on the train. See the Delhi–Varanasi Sleeper guide.

Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat Express boarding guide: every stop

You do not have to board the Vande Bharat Express at the first station. Every stop below is a boarding and alighting point, and IRCTC sells tickets between any two of them. Times are the scheduled times from the Indian Railways timetable; check live running on NTES on the day.

Train 22436, New Delhi → Varanasi Jn, and its return 22435:

• Kanpur Central (CNB). The 22436 Vande Bharat train arrives at 10:08 and leaves at 10:10, 4 h 8 min and 441 km after New Delhi, with 3 h 50 min and 330 km still to go to Varanasi Jn. In the other direction, 22435 calls here at 18:30.
• Prayagraj Jn (PRYJ). The 22436 Vande Bharat train arrives at 12:08 and leaves at 12:10, 6 h 8 min and 636 km after New Delhi, with 1 h 50 min and 135 km still to go to Varanasi Jn. In the other direction, 22435 calls here at 16:30.

Train 22416, New Delhi → Varanasi Jn, and its return 22415:

• Kanpur Central (CNB). The 22416 Vande Bharat train arrives at 19:08 and leaves at 19:12, 4 h 8 min and 441 km after New Delhi, with 3 h 53 min and 319 km still to go to Varanasi Jn. In the other direction, 22415 calls here at 09:26.
• Prayagraj Jn (PRYJ). The 22416 Vande Bharat train arrives at 21:11 and leaves at 21:15, 6 h 11 min and 636 km after New Delhi, with 1 h 50 min and 124 km still to go to Varanasi Jn. In the other direction, 22415 calls here at 07:30.

To board at an intermediate station, search from that station on IRCTC, or change the boarding point of an existing e-ticket once, up to the final chart. See the ticket change guide.

Can you go and return the same day by Vande Bharat?

• From Delhi: take 22436, which reaches Varanasi Jn (BSB) at 14:00, and come back on 22435 at 15:00. That leaves 1 h at Varanasi, only enough for a very short visit.
• From Varanasi: take 22415, which reaches New Delhi (NDLS) at 14:05, and come back on 22416 at 15:00. That leaves 55 min at Delhi, only enough for a very short visit.

Both trains must run on the same day, so check each train’s day off. A late arrival eats into the time you have, so leave a buffer. The same-day return planner checks this for any pair of stations.

Booking the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat train

Booking for 22436 opens on IRCTC 60 days before the journey, at 08:00 IST, not counting the journey day. For a journey on Sunday 10 January 2027, booking opens on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 08:00. Booking for 22416 opens on IRCTC 60 days before the journey, at 08:00 IST, not counting the journey day. For a journey on Sunday 10 January 2027, booking opens on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 08:00. Find the date for your trip with the booking date calculator.

How fast does it fill up? When we checked IRCTC on 11 November 2026 for trains two to four days away, 22436 showed CC waiting lists of WL 49–87 and EC waiting lists of WL 6–20; 22416 showed CC waiting lists of WL 75–105 and EC waiting lists of WL 4–27. EC usually has a much shorter waiting list than CC on this Vande Bharat Express, so check it when CC is full. A ticket still waitlisted when the chart is made is cancelled and refunded automatically, less ₹60 clerkage.

Tatkal fare on the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat Express

Tatkal for 22436 opens at 10:00 IST the day before the train leaves New Delhi. The Tatkal charge is 30% of the base fare, capped at ₹225 in CC and ₹500 in EC, and on this full-length trip it hits the cap. So a Tatkal ticket costs about ₹2,071 in CC (usual ₹1,835) and ₹3,910 in EC (usual ₹3,385), with a meal. A confirmed Tatkal ticket gets no refund if you cancel.

Tatkal for 22416 opens at 10:00 IST the day before the train leaves New Delhi. The Tatkal charge is 30% of the base fare, capped at ₹225 in CC and ₹500 in EC, and on this full-length trip it hits the cap. So a Tatkal ticket costs about ₹2,006 in CC (usual ₹1,770) and ₹3,825 in EC (usual ₹3,300), with a meal. A confirmed Tatkal ticket gets no refund if you cancel.

See the Tatkal guide and the Tatkal charge calculator.

Meal charge on this route (per person, GST included, from IRCTC’s fare breakdown): 22436: ₹363 in CC and ₹418 in EC; 22416: ₹307 in CC and ₹368 in EC. Choose No Food when booking to save it, or add a meal later on IRCTC under Booked Ticket History → Opt Meal.

Refund if you cancel a Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket

Indian Railways counts the refund bands from the train’s scheduled departure at its first station. For a confirmed Chair Car ticket on this route, per passenger:

• 22436 in CC (₹1,835): cancel more than 72 hours before and you get back about ₹1,655; 72 to 24 hours before, about ₹1,376; 24 to 8 hours before, about ₹917; less than 8 hours before, nothing.
• 22436 in EC (₹3,385): cancel more than 72 hours before and you get back about ₹3,145; 72 to 24 hours before, about ₹2,539; 24 to 8 hours before, about ₹1,692; less than 8 hours before, nothing.
• 22416 in CC (₹1,770): cancel more than 72 hours before and you get back about ₹1,590; 72 to 24 hours before, about ₹1,327; 24 to 8 hours before, about ₹885; less than 8 hours before, nothing.
• 22416 in EC (₹3,300): cancel more than 72 hours before and you get back about ₹3,060; 72 to 24 hours before, about ₹2,475; 24 to 8 hours before, about ₹1,650; less than 8 hours before, nothing.

GST on the cancellation charge can change these by a few rupees, and the IRCTC cancellation screen is final. Work out your own figure with the refund calculator, and see the clock times for your train with the cancellation deadline tool.

When is the chart prepared for the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat?

• 22436 leaves New Delhi at 06:00, so its first chart is prepared by 20:00 the evening before.
• 22435 leaves Varanasi Jn at 15:00, so its first chart is prepared by 05:00 on the day of travel (10 hours before departure).
• 22416 leaves New Delhi at 15:00, so its first chart is prepared by 05:00 on the day of travel (10 hours before departure).
• 22415 leaves Varanasi Jn at 06:00, so its first chart is prepared by 20:00 the evening before.

After the first chart, waiting-list tickets are settled and your coach and seat number appear on the PNR. Check it on IRCTC or the Indian Railways PNR enquiry. The chart preparation time tool works it out for any date.

Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat FAQs

How many Vande Bharat trains run between Delhi and Varanasi? Two Chair Car pairs (22435/22436 and 22415/22416) and one Sleeper pair (27421/27422).

What is the timing of the Delhi to Varanasi Vande Bharat? 22436 leaves New Delhi at 06:00 and reaches Varanasi at 14:00. 22416 leaves at 15:00 and reaches at 23:05.

What is the timing of the Varanasi to Delhi Vande Bharat? 22415 leaves Varanasi at 06:00 and reaches New Delhi at 14:05. 22435 leaves at 15:00 and reaches at 23:00.

Where does the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat stop? Only at Kanpur Central (CNB) and Prayagraj Jn (PRYJ).

What is the Delhi to Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket price? ₹1,835 in CC and ₹3,385 in EC with a meal on 22436 (IRCTC, 11 November 2026).

What is the Delhi to Varanasi Vande Bharat train number? 22436 and 22416 from Delhi to Varanasi, and 22435 and 22415 from Varanasi to Delhi. The pairs are 22436/22435 and 22416/22415.

How many stops does the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat Express have? Train 22436 has 2 intermediate stops between New Delhi and Varanasi Jn: Kanpur Central (CNB), Prayagraj Jn (PRYJ).

What time does the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat reach Prayagraj Jn? Train 22436 reaches Prayagraj Jn (PRYJ) at 12:08, and 22435 in the other direction at 16:30.

When does booking open for the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat Express? 60 days before the journey at 08:00 IST on IRCTC. For Sunday 10 January 2027, it opens on Wednesday 11 November 2026.

What is the Tatkal fare for the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat? About ₹2,071 in CC and ₹3,910 in EC on 22436, against ₹1,835 and ₹3,385 normally. Tatkal opens at 10:00 IST the day before.

How much refund will I get if I cancel the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket 2 days before? Between 72 and 24 hours before departure, 25% of the fare is deducted. On a ₹1,835 CC ticket on 22436 you get back about ₹1,376. More than 72 hours before, only the flat ₹180 is deducted.

What is the difference between CC and EC fare on the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat? On 22436, EC costs ₹3,385 against ₹1,835 for CC with a meal, ₹1,550 more. EC has wider 2+2 seats; CC has 3+2. See CC vs EC.

When is the chart prepared for the Delhi Varanasi Vande Bharat train? For 22436, which leaves at 06:00, by 20:00 the evening before. For 22435, which leaves at 15:00, by 05:00 on the day of travel (10 hours before departure).

Related routes

• Delhi – Varanasi Vande Bharat Sleeper
• All Vande Bharat routes by state
• Full Vande Bharat route list

Sources

Timetable and stops: erail 22435, 22436, 22415, 22416, cross-checked with ConfirmTkt, 11 November 2026. Fares: IRCTC fare enquiry, 11 November 2026. Sleeper: Northern Railway notice. Always confirm on IRCTC or NTES before travel. Report a correction.