Ranchi – Varanasi Vande Bharat Express (20887 / 20888)

Timetable last checked 12 November 2026 (data from 11 November 2026). Fares checked 12 November 2026.

Train summary

Which stations? The train starts and ends at Ranchi (RNC), the main station in the city, not Hatia. At the other end it uses Varanasi Jn (BSB); if your ticket or hotel names another Varanasi station, check the code before you travel.

Which Hazaribagh? This Vande Bharat Express stops at Hazaribagh Road (HZD), which is a different station from Hazaribagh Town. Hazaribagh Town is served by the Patna–Ranchi Vande Bharat (22349/22350), not by this train. Check the station code on your ticket.

What kind of train this is

The Ranchi to Varanasi Vande Bharat Express is a daytime Chair Car train. There are no berths, only reclining seats: CC has 3+2 seating and EC has wider 2+2 seats. See CC vs EC and the seat guide for layouts and window seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Ranchi–Varanasi Vande Bharat virtually from Ahmedabad on 12 March 2024, together with other new Vande Bharat trains. It was Jharkhand’s third Vande Bharat Express, after Patna–Ranchi and Ranchi–Howrah, and its regular service began on 18 March 2024. Source: ThePrint (PTI) Reports at the launch gave a route length of 571 km and Thursday as the day off; today the railway timetable shows 536 km and Tuesday as the day off, so go by the current timetable.

The timings have also moved. From 2 September 2026, the Varanasi–Ranchi train was moved from a 16:05 departure to 15:55. Source: Business Today Older articles, videos and screenshots may still show 16:05, so use the tables below and check NTES or IRCTC for your date.

The route crosses three states. In Jharkhand the train runs east from Ranchi to Muri, then north through Bokaro Steel City, Parasnath, Hazaribagh Road and Koderma Jn. In Bihar it stops at Gaya Jn and Sasaram. In Uttar Pradesh it calls at Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn (DDU), 17 km before Varanasi Jn. The schedule has 2-minute halts at most stations and 5-minute halts at Gaya Jn and DDU, plus 5 minutes at Bokaro Steel City on the return.

20887 Ranchi to Varanasi Jn timetable

20888 Varanasi Jn to Ranchi timetable

All stops are on the same day. For live running status, use NTES with train number 20887 or 20888.

Note the long last leg of 20888: Muri to Ranchi is 62 km but is timed at 1 h 25 min, against 50 min for the same stretch on 20887. If someone is meeting you at Ranchi at night, track the train on NTES rather than going by the printed 23:55.

Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat boarding guide: every stop

Every stop below is a boarding and alighting point, and IRCTC sells tickets between any two of them, so Bokaro or Gaya passengers can book straight to Varanasi without going to Ranchi. Times are scheduled; check live running on NTES on the day.

Train 20887, Ranchi → Varanasi Jn, and its return 20888 (times for 20887 first):

• Muri (MURI). 20887 arrives at 06:00 and leaves at 06:02, 50 min and 62 km after Ranchi, with 6 h 58 min and 474 km still to go to Varanasi. In the other direction, 20888 calls here at 22:28.
• Bokaro Steel City (BKSC). 20887 arrives at 06:53 and leaves at 06:55, 1 h 43 min and 115 km after Ranchi, with 6 h 5 min and 421 km to go. 20888 calls here at 21:30.
• Parasnath (PNME). 20887 arrives at 07:55 and leaves at 07:57, 2 h 45 min and 165 km after Ranchi, with 5 h 3 min to go. 20888 calls here at 20:50.
• Hazaribagh Road (HZD). 20887 arrives at 08:12 and leaves at 08:14, 3 h 2 min and 192 km after Ranchi, with 4 h 46 min to go. 20888 calls here at 20:17.
• Koderma Jn (KQR). 20887 arrives at 08:40 and leaves at 08:42, 3 h 30 min and 240 km after Ranchi, with 4 h 18 min to go. 20888 calls here at 19:50.
• Gaya Jn (GAYA). 20887 arrives at 09:50 and leaves at 09:55, 4 h 40 min and 316 km after Ranchi, with 3 h 5 min and 220 km to go. 20888 calls here at 18:45.
• Sasaram (SSM). 20887 arrives at 10:55 and leaves at 10:57, 5 h 45 min and 419 km after Ranchi, with 2 h 3 min to go. 20888 calls here at 17:40.
• Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn (DDU). 20887 arrives at 12:10 and leaves at 12:15, 7 h and 519 km after Ranchi, with 45 min and 17 km to go. 20888 calls here at 16:35.

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.

Vande Bharat Gaya to Varanasi, and Ranchi to Gaya

Gaya Jn sits roughly in the middle of the route, so the same Vande Bharat train works as two shorter services. Ranchi to Gaya takes 4 h 40 min on 20887 (05:10 to 09:50), and Gaya to Ranchi 5 h 5 min on 20888 (18:50 to 23:55). Gaya to Varanasi takes 3 h 5 min on 20887 (09:55 to 13:00), and Varanasi to Gaya 2 h 50 min on 20888 (15:55 to 18:45). Between Gaya and Varanasi the train also stops at Sasaram and DDU.

Ranchi to Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket price

Fares are for one adult, General quota, with the meal, checked 12 November 2026. They are IRCTC fares as recorded by erail.in, and we kept a figure only where it agreed with erail’s own calculation from the official fare rules, so confirm on IRCTC before you pay. We could not confirm fares for shorter station pairs, such as Ranchi to Gaya, Bokaro to Varanasi or Gaya to Varanasi; check those on IRCTC. They are lower than the full Ranchi–Varanasi fare.

The morning train from Ranchi costs ₹55 more in CC and ₹50 more in EC than the afternoon train from Varanasi, over the same 536 km. Since the base fare is set by distance and class, the gap most likely comes from the catering charge for the meals served on each train, which IRCTC shows in the fare breakdown when you book. Choosing No Food lowers the price by the meal charge on either train. See the food guide for what is served.

The fare is built from a base fare (1.4 times Shatabdi in CC and 1.3 times in EC), reservation and superfast charges, GST and the optional meal. Source: PIB There is no dynamic fare, so the price does not rise as seats fill up. Source: PIB, February 2026 See how Vande Bharat ticket prices work or estimate a station pair with the fare calculator.

CC or EC to Varanasi? EC costs ₹1,220 more than CC on 20887 and ₹1,225 more on 20888. For an eight-hour day in the seat, EC’s wider 2+2 layout is worth checking, especially when CC is waitlisted.

Booking the Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat train

Booking for 20887 and 20888 opens on IRCTC 60 days before the journey, at 08:00 IST, not counting the journey day. For a journey on Monday 11 January 2027, booking opens on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 08:00. Do not pick a Tuesday: the train does not run, and IRCTC will not show it. Find the opening date for your trip with the booking date calculator.

If CC is full, look at EC before taking a waiting-list ticket. A ticket still waitlisted when the chart is made is cancelled and refunded automatically, less ₹60 clerkage plus GST (₹63) per passenger.

Tatkal opens at 10:00 IST the day before the train leaves its first station: the day before at Ranchi for 20887, and the day before at Varanasi Jn for 20888. A passenger boarding 20887 at Gaya still books Tatkal on the day before the 05:10 Ranchi departure. A confirmed Tatkal ticket gets no refund if you cancel. See the Tatkal guide.

The booking guide covers IRCTC step by step, including quotas, waiting lists and how to choose a seat.

Refund if you cancel a Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket

The refund bands are counted from the train’s scheduled departure at its first station, so a passenger boarding 20887 at Bokaro or Gaya still works from the 05:10 departure from Ranchi. For a confirmed ticket, per passenger, with 5% GST on the charge, using the 72, 24 and 8-hour bands the Ministry of Railways announced in March 2026:

• 20887 in CC (₹1,525): cancel more than 72 hours before and you get back about ₹1,336; 72 to 24 hours before, about ₹1,125; 24 to 8 hours before, about ₹724; less than 8 hours before, nothing.
• 20887 in EC (₹2,745): more than 72 hours before, about ₹2,493; 72 to 24 hours, about ₹2,024; 24 to 8 hours, about ₹1,304; less than 8 hours, nothing.
• 20888 in CC (₹1,470): more than 72 hours before, about ₹1,281; 72 to 24 hours, about ₹1,084; 24 to 8 hours, about ₹698; less than 8 hours, nothing.
• 20888 in EC (₹2,695): more than 72 hours before, about ₹2,443; 72 to 24 hours, about ₹1,988; 24 to 8 hours, about ₹1,280; less than 8 hours, nothing.

IRCTC’s published refund rules still show the older 48, 12 and 4-hour cut-offs, so the IRCTC cancellation screen is final. The Vande Bharat cancellation charges guide explains both sets of bands, and the refund calculator and cancellation deadline tool give your own figure and clock times.

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

• From Ranchi: take 20887, which reaches Varanasi Jn at 13:00, and come back on 20888 at 15:55. That leaves only 2 h 55 min in Varanasi, too tight for most plans once you allow for getting to and from the station. Plan to stay at least one night.
• From Varanasi: you cannot do a Ranchi day trip on this train, because 20888 reaches Ranchi at 23:55 and 20887 leaves Ranchi the next morning.
• Ranchi to Gaya and back: 20887 reaches Gaya at 09:50 and 20888 leaves Gaya at 18:50, giving 9 h in Gaya.
• Gaya to Varanasi and back: 20887 leaves Gaya at 09:55 and reaches Varanasi at 13:00; 20888 brings you back at 15:55, reaching Gaya at 18:45.

Both trains must run on the same day, and neither runs on Tuesday. Leave a buffer in case 20887 runs late. The same-day return planner checks this for any pair of stations, and the running days checker confirms a date.

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

• 20887 leaves Ranchi at 05:10, so its first chart is prepared by 20:00 the evening before.
• 20888 leaves Varanasi Jn at 15:55, so its first chart is prepared by 05:55 on the day of travel (10 hours before departure).

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

Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat FAQs

What is the timing of the Ranchi to Varanasi Vande Bharat? Train 20887 leaves Ranchi at 05:10 and reaches Varanasi Jn at 13:00, a journey of 7 h 50 min.

What is the timing of the Varanasi to Ranchi Vande Bharat? Train 20888 leaves Varanasi Jn at 15:55 and reaches Ranchi at 23:55, a journey of 8 h. It left at 16:05 until 1 September 2026.

On which day does the Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat not run? Tuesday, in both directions.

What is the Ranchi to Varanasi Vande Bharat ticket price? ₹1,525 in CC and ₹2,745 in EC with the meal on 20887. The return 20888 is ₹1,470 in CC and ₹2,695 in EC (checked 12 November 2026; confirm on IRCTC).

What are the stops of the Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat? Eight intermediate stops: Muri (MURI), Bokaro Steel City (BKSC), Parasnath (PNME), Hazaribagh Road (HZD), Koderma Jn (KQR), Gaya Jn (GAYA), Sasaram (SSM) and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn (DDU), in reverse order on 20888.

Does the Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat stop at Gaya? Yes, at Gaya Jn (GAYA): 09:50 towards Varanasi and 18:45 towards Ranchi, with a 5-minute halt both ways.

Does the Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat stop at Bokaro? Yes, at Bokaro Steel City (BKSC): 06:53 towards Varanasi and 21:30 towards Ranchi.

Does this train go via Dhanbad? No. It runs through Parasnath and does not stop at Dhanbad Jn.

Does it stop at Hazaribagh Town? No. It stops at Hazaribagh Road (HZD), a separate station. For Hazaribagh Town, use the Patna–Ranchi Vande Bharat.

Which Varanasi station does the Vande Bharat from Ranchi use? Varanasi Jn (BSB). It also stops at Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn, 17 km earlier.

Can I go from Ranchi to Varanasi and back in one day? Technically yes: 20887 arrives at 13:00 and 20888 leaves at 15:55, giving 2 h 55 min in Varanasi. That is too short for most visits.

When does booking open for the Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat Express? 60 days before the journey at 08:00 IST on IRCTC. For Monday 11 January 2027, it opens on Thursday 12 November 2026.

When is the chart prepared for 20887 and 20888? For 20887, which leaves at 05:10, by 20:00 the evening before. For 20888, which leaves at 15:55, by 05:55 on the day of travel.

When was the Ranchi Varanasi Vande Bharat launched? It was flagged off on 12 March 2024, and regular service started on 18 March 2024. It was Jharkhand’s third Vande Bharat Express.

Related routes

• Vande Bharat trains in Jharkhand
• Vande Bharat trains in Uttar Pradesh
• Vande Bharat trains in Bihar
• Delhi – Varanasi Vande Bharat
• Full Vande Bharat route list

Sources

Timetable, stops and running days: erail 20887, erail 20888, cross-checked with ConfirmTkt 20887 and ConfirmTkt 20888, 11 November 2026. Fares: erail.in’s IRCTC fare data, cross-checked against its fare calculation, 12 November 2026. Launch: ThePrint (PTI). Timing change: Business Today. Fare rules: PIB, PIB, February 2026. Always confirm on IRCTC or NTES before travel. Report a correction.