What this Vande Bharat Sleeper fare calculator does
The Vande Bharat Sleeper is the overnight version of the Vande Bharat Express, with berths in AC 3-tier (3A), AC 2-tier (2A) and First AC (1A) instead of Chair Car seats. Its fares are not built like a normal Indian Railways ticket. There is no separate reservation charge, superfast charge or catering charge: the Ministry of Railways sets one all-inclusive rate per kilometre, food included, and adds GST. That makes the Vande Bharat Sleeper ticket price easy to work out for any pair of stops, including intermediate stations that IRCTC fare tables online rarely show.
This tool takes the rail distance between your two stops from the checked timetable of the Vande Bharat Sleeper train you choose, applies the per-km rate for each class, applies the 400 km minimum where needed, and adds 5% GST. It covers all three overnight Vande Bharat trains in the Vande Bharat Express family running in November 2026: New Delhi–Varanasi (27421/27422), Mumbai CSMT–SMVT Bengaluru (27651/27652) and Howrah–Kamakhya (27575/27576).
How to use the calculator
- Choose your Vande Bharat train. Only the Sleeper trains are listed, and each direction has its own number. For example, 27422 runs New Delhi (NDLS) to Varanasi Jn (BSB) and 27421 runs the other way.
- Pick your boarding station in the From box. The list contains every scheduled stop of that train, in order.
- Pick your destination in the To box. It must come after the boarding station in the direction of travel.
- Read the table. You get the distance, the base fare in 3A, 2A and 1A, the 5% GST and an estimated total per passenger. If your trip is shorter than 400 km, the tool tells you it is charged as 400 km.
How the Vande Bharat Sleeper fare is calculated
The Ministry of Railways prices the Vande Bharat Sleeper per kilometre: ₹2.40 per km in 3A before GST, rising to about ₹3.80 per km in 1A. Food is included, and there are no separate reservation, superfast or catering charges. [Source: PIB]
The formula the tool uses is:
Fare ≈ chargeable km × rate per km × 1.05, where chargeable km is the distance between your stops or 400 km, whichever is more. The rates are ₹2.40 in 3A and ₹3.80 in 1A, as published. For 2A we use ₹3.10 per km, worked out from IRCTC's own 2A fare for 27422 (₹2,352 base fare for 758 km), because the Ministry release gives only the range.
Minimum 400 km. A Vande Bharat Sleeper ticket is charged for at least 400 km, even for a shorter trip (Railway Board Commercial Circular 03/2026). There are no concession fares on Vande Bharat trains, Chair Car or Sleeper, so every adult pays the same per-km rate.
Worked examples on all three Vande Bharat Sleeper routes
Estimated fares per passenger from this calculator, including 5% GST:
| Train and stretch | Km | 3A | 2A | 1A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27422 New Delhi (NDLS) → Varanasi Jn (BSB) | 758 | ₹1,910 | ₹2,467 | ₹3,024 |
| 27422 New Delhi → Kanpur Central (CNB) | 439 | ₹1,106 | ₹1,429 | ₹1,752 |
| 27422 New Delhi → Prayagraj Jn (PRYJ) | 633 | ₹1,595 | ₹2,060 | ₹2,526 |
| 27651 Mumbai CSMT → SMVT Bengaluru (SMVB) | 1,114 | ₹2,807 | ₹3,626 | ₹4,445 |
| 27651 Mumbai CSMT → Solapur Jn (SUR) | 455 | ₹1,147 | ₹1,481 | ₹1,815 |
| 27651 Mumbai CSMT → Pune Jn (PUNE), charged as 400 km | 192 | ₹1,008 | ₹1,302 | ₹1,596 |
| 27575 Howrah Jn (HWH) → Kamakhya (KYQ) | 966 | ₹2,434 | ₹3,144 | ₹3,854 |
| 27575 Howrah Jn → New Jalpaiguri (NJP) | 564 | ₹1,421 | ₹1,836 | ₹2,250 |
The Pune example shows why the minimum matters. Mumbai CSMT to Pune is only 192 km on 27651, but the ticket is charged as 400 km, so a 3A berth costs about ₹1,008, the same as any other trip up to 400 km. For short hops, a daytime Vande Bharat Express Chair Car train is usually far cheaper.
How accurate is it?
We checked the calculator against two published fares:
- New Delhi to Varanasi (27422, 758 km): the calculator gives about ₹1,910 in 3A, ₹2,467 in 2A and ₹3,024 in 1A. IRCTC's actual fares on 11 November 2026 were ₹1,915, ₹2,470 and ₹3,030.
- Howrah to New Jalpaiguri (27575, 564 km): the calculator gives about ₹1,421, ₹1,836 and ₹2,250. Fares published at the January 2026 launch were ₹1,425 in 3A, ₹1,840 in 2A and ₹2,255 in 1A.
In both cases the estimate is within about ₹6 of the real fare. The small gap comes from rounding: IRCTC rounds the fare and uses its own chargeable distance, which can differ by a kilometre or two from the timetable distance. The IRCTC booking screen always shows the exact amount.
Things to know before you book a Vande Bharat Sleeper train
- Confirmed tickets only. Under the Railway Board rules the Sleeper issues no RAC and only confirmed tickets, although IRCTC showed waiting-list numbers on 27422 in November 2026. If a class shows no berths, try another class or date.
- No Tatkal. There is no Tatkal quota on the Vande Bharat Sleeper. Book when general booking opens, 60 days ahead at 08:00 IST.
- Food is included in the fare, so there is no meal choice to make.
- Stricter refunds. 25% of the fare is deducted if you cancel more than 72 hours before departure, 50% until 8 hours before, and nothing is refunded after that.
- Quotas: only Ladies, Divyangjan, Senior Citizen and Duty Pass, and lower berths go automatically, where available, to men aged 60+ and women aged 45+.
Vande Bharat Sleeper fare FAQs
What is the Vande Bharat Sleeper ticket price?
It depends on distance and class. New Delhi to Varanasi costs ₹1,915 in 3A, ₹2,470 in 2A and ₹3,030 in 1A on IRCTC. Mumbai to Bengaluru works out to about ₹2,807 in 3A by the per-km rule.
What is the Vande Bharat Sleeper fare structure?
One all-inclusive rate per kilometre: ₹2.40 per km in 3A, up to about ₹3.80 per km in 1A, plus GST. Food is included and there are no separate reservation or superfast charges.
Is there a minimum fare on the Vande Bharat Sleeper?
Yes. Every ticket is charged for at least 400 km, so a 3A berth costs at least about ₹1,008 including GST.
What is the Howrah to Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper ticket price?
By the per-km rule, about ₹2,434 in 3A, ₹3,144 in 2A and ₹3,854 in 1A for the full 966 km. Check IRCTC for the exact figure.
Is food free on the Vande Bharat Sleeper?
Food is included in the fare on these Vande Bharat trains, according to the Ministry of Railways. There is no separate catering charge.
Is the Vande Bharat Sleeper cheaper than the Vande Bharat Express Chair Car?
Not per km, but the two Vande Bharat trains are often close in total. On New Delhi–Varanasi a 3A berth (₹1,915) costs only ₹80 more than a CC seat with meal on the daytime Chair Car 22436 (₹1,835).
Related tools and guides
Compare with Vande Bharat Express Chair Car prices on the Vande Bharat fare calculator, see the refund calculator for Sleeper cancellation, and read the Vande Bharat Sleeper guide, the Delhi–Varanasi Sleeper and Mumbai–Bengaluru Sleeper pages.
Sources: Ministry of Railways via PIB (March 2026) for per-km rates and food included; Railway Board Commercial Circular 03/2026 for the 400 km minimum, quotas and confirmed-only tickets; Gazette G.S.R. 41(E) and Commercial Circular 08/2026 for refunds; IRCTC fare enquiry, 11 November 2026; January 2026 launch fares as published by The Indian Express. Distances from the checked timetable, 11 November 2026.