20871 Vande Bharat Express: Howrah to Rourkela

20871 time table

The full Vande Bharat Express 20871 time table, from Howrah Jn to Rourkela. Day 1 is the day the train leaves Howrah.

These are scheduled times, checked on 11 November 2026 against two independent timetable sources. On the day you travel, the live times on NTES take priority.

20871 route and stops

20871 stops at 3 stations between Howrah and Rourkela: Kharagpur, Tatanagar, Chakradharpur. Leaving Howrah at 06:00, 20871 runs 116 km to Kharagpur, arriving at 07:28 after 1 h 28 min. From Kharagpur it covers 134 km to Tatanagar in 1 h 40 min, arriving at 09:10. From Tatanagar it covers 62 km to Chakradharpur in 0 h 43 min, arriving at 09:58. The last stretch, 101 km from Chakradharpur, takes 2 h 5 min and ends at Rourkela at 12:05.

Over the whole 413 km the average speed is about 68 km/h, including stops. The fastest stretch is Tatanagar to Chakradharpur, 62 km at an average of about 87 km/h, and the longest run without a stop is Kharagpur to Tatanagar, 134 km. In all, the train stands at stations for about 9 minutes; the longest halt is 5 minutes at Tatanagar. Compare it with other trains in Vande Bharat speed.

20871 running status

This page shows the scheduled timetable; it does not track 20871 live. To see where 20871 is now and how late it is running:

1. Open the official NTES running status page or the NTES app.
2. Enter the train number, 20871.
3. Choose the date the train left Howrah.
4. NTES shows the last station passed, the expected time at each stop and any delay.

If 20871 runs more than 3 hours late and you decide not to travel, you are entitled to a full refund; see Vande Bharat TDR and late train refund.

20871 running days

20871 runs six days a week and does not run on Tuesday. The running day is the day the train leaves Howrah. The return train 20872 does not run on Tuesday either. Check any date with the running days checker.

20871 fare

IRCTC shows the fare for your exact stations and class when you search for 20871, and you can see it without logging in. The fare includes the base fare, reservation and superfast charges, GST and the meal, unless you choose No Food. On the Vande Bharat Express routes we have checked, full-route fares were ₹1,385 to ₹1,835 in CC and ₹2,505 to ₹3,385 in EC on 11 November 2026. See Vande Bharat ticket price for each route.

How to book 20871

Book 20871 on IRCTC, the official Indian Railways booking service, or at a reservation counter. Search HWH to ROU, or any pair of stations on its route, and pick CC or EC.

• Booking opens 60 days before the journey at 08:00 IST, counted from the day 20871 leaves Howrah.
• Tatkal: opens at 10:00 IST the day before the train leaves Howrah.
• First chart: prepared by 20:00 the evening before, for a 06:00 departure from Howrah. The final chart is made at least 30 minutes before departure.
• Platform: not fixed in advance. It is announced at the station on the day; check the display boards or NTES.

Step-by-step help is in the Vande Bharat booking guide.

20871 cancellation deadlines

Cancellation charges depend on how long before 20871 leaves Howrah at 06:00 you cancel a confirmed ticket. Under the 72, 24 and 8-hour bands announced in March 2026, you pay only the flat charge (₹189 in CC, ₹252 in EC, with GST) until 06:00 three days before, 25% of the fare until 06:00 the day before, 50% until 22:00 the day before, and nothing comes back after that. IRCTC's published rules still use 48, 12 and 4 hours, which for 20871 fall at 06:00 two days before, 18:00 the day before and 02:00 on the day of departure. Details are in Vande Bharat cancellation charges.

20871 coach position and classes

20871 has AC Chair Car (CC) and Executive Chair Car (EC) seats. A Vande Bharat Express Chair Car train has 8, 16 or 20 coaches: CC coaches seat 78 in a 3+2 layout (44 in the driving coach at each end), and EC coaches seat 52 in a 2+2 layout with rotating seats. Indian Railways does not publish a fixed coach order for each train, so check the coach guidance boards on the platform or the RailOne app for where your coach will stop. See the Vande Bharat seat map.

Food on 20871

Meals on 20871 are optional. You choose a meal or No Food when you book on IRCTC, and the fare changes to match. Which meals you get depends on the time of day the train runs. See Vande Bharat food.

Return train 20872

20872 runs the other way, from Rourkela at 13:30 to Howrah at 19:50, in 6 h 20 min, and does not run on Tuesday. Together, 20871 and 20872 make the Howrah–Rourkela Vande Bharat Express pair.

All Vande Bharat trains and their timings are in the Vande Bharat train timings list, and every route in the route list.

20871 Vande Bharat FAQs

What is the departure time of 20871?
20871 leaves Howrah Jn (HWH) at 06:00.

What time does 20871 reach Rourkela?
20871 reaches Rourkela (ROU) at 12:05, after 6 h 5 min.

How can I check the running status of 20871?
On NTES, the official National Train Enquiry System: enter 20871 and the date the train left Howrah to see where it is and any delay.

On which days does 20871 run?
Every day except Tuesday, counted from its departure from Howrah.

How many stops does 20871 have?
3 stops between Howrah and Rourkela: Kharagpur, Tatanagar, Chakradharpur.

When is the chart prepared for 20871?
The first chart is prepared by 20:00 the evening before, and the final chart at least 30 minutes before the 06:00 departure.

What is the platform number of 20871?
It is not fixed in advance. The platform is announced at Howrah on the day; check the station display boards or NTES.

What is the return train of 20871?
20872, from Rourkela at 13:30 to Howrah at 19:50.

Sources

Timetable: erail.in and ConfirmTkt, both checked on 11 November 2026; live running: NTES. Booking and cancellation rules: IRCTC and the Ministry of Railways. Report a correction.