20872 Vande Bharat Express: Rourkela to Howrah

20872 time table

The full Vande Bharat Express 20872 time table, from Rourkela to Howrah Jn. Day 1 is the day the train leaves Rourkela.

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.

20872 route and stops

20872 stops at 3 stations between Rourkela and Howrah: Chakradharpur, Tatanagar, Kharagpur. Leaving Rourkela at 13:30, 20872 runs 102 km to Chakradharpur, arriving at 14:46 after 1 h 16 min. From Chakradharpur it covers 62 km to Tatanagar in 0 h 57 min, arriving at 15:45. From Tatanagar it covers 134 km to Kharagpur in 1 h 58 min, arriving at 17:48. The last stretch, 115 km from Kharagpur, takes 2 h and ends at Howrah at 19:50.

Over the whole 413 km the average speed is about 65 km/h, including stops. The fastest stretch is Rourkela to Chakradharpur, 102 km at an average of about 81 km/h, and the longest run without a stop is Tatanagar to Kharagpur, 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.

20872 running status

This page shows the scheduled timetable; it does not track 20872 live. To see where 20872 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, 20872.
3. Choose the date the train left Rourkela.
4. NTES shows the last station passed, the expected time at each stop and any delay.

If 20872 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.

20872 running days

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

20872 fare

IRCTC shows the fare for your exact stations and class when you search for 20872, 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 20872

Book 20872 on IRCTC, the official Indian Railways booking service, or at a reservation counter. Search ROU to HWH, 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 20872 leaves Rourkela.
• Tatkal: opens at 10:00 IST the day before the train leaves Rourkela.
• First chart: prepared by 20:00 the evening before, for a 13:30 departure from Rourkela. 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.

20872 cancellation deadlines

Cancellation charges depend on how long before 20872 leaves Rourkela at 13:30 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 13:30 three days before, 25% of the fare until 13:30 the day before, 50% until 05:30 on the day of departure, and nothing comes back after that. IRCTC's published rules still use 48, 12 and 4 hours, which for 20872 fall at 13:30 two days before, 01:30 on the day of departure and 09:30 on the day of departure. Details are in Vande Bharat cancellation charges.

20872 coach position and classes

20872 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 20872

Meals on 20872 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 20871

20871 runs the other way, from Howrah at 06:00 to Rourkela at 12:05, in 6 h 5 min, and does not run on Tuesday. Together, 20872 and 20871 make the Rourkela–Howrah 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.

20872 Vande Bharat FAQs

What is the departure time of 20872?
20872 leaves Rourkela (ROU) at 13:30.

What time does 20872 reach Howrah?
20872 reaches Howrah Jn (HWH) at 19:50, after 6 h 20 min.

How can I check the running status of 20872?
On NTES, the official National Train Enquiry System: enter 20872 and the date the train left Rourkela to see where it is and any delay.

On which days does 20872 run?
Every day except Tuesday, counted from its departure from Rourkela.

How many stops does 20872 have?
3 stops between Rourkela and Howrah: Chakradharpur, Tatanagar, Kharagpur.

When is the chart prepared for 20872?
The first chart is prepared by 20:00 the evening before, and the final chart at least 30 minutes before the 13:30 departure.

What is the platform number of 20872?
It is not fixed in advance. The platform is announced at Rourkela on the day; check the station display boards or NTES.

What is the return train of 20872?
20871, from Howrah at 06:00 to Rourkela at 12:05.

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.