20898 Vande Bharat Express: Ranchi to Howrah

20898 time table

The full Vande Bharat Express 20898 time table, from Ranchi to Howrah Jn. Day 1 is the day the train leaves Ranchi.

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.

20898 route and stops

20898 stops at 6 stations between Ranchi and Howrah: Muri, Kotshila, Purulia, Chandil, Tatanagar, Kharagpur. Leaving Ranchi at 06:00, 20898 runs 62 km to Muri, arriving at 06:50 after 0 h 50 min. From Muri it covers 24 km to Kotshila in 0 h 22 min, arriving at 07:14. From Kotshila it covers 37 km to Purulia in 0 h 28 min, arriving at 07:43. From Purulia it covers 54 km to Chandil in 0 h 49 min, arriving at 08:34. From Chandil it covers 36 km to Tatanagar in 0 h 48 min, arriving at 09:23. From Tatanagar it covers 134 km to Kharagpur in 1 h 45 min, arriving at 11:13. The last stretch, 115 km from Kharagpur, takes 1 h 55 min and ends at Howrah at 13:10.

Over the whole 462 km the average speed is about 64 km/h, including stops. The fastest stretch is Kotshila to Purulia, 37 km at an average of about 79 km/h, and the longest run without a stop is Tatanagar to Kharagpur, 134 km. In all, the train stands at stations for about 13 minutes; the longest halt is 5 minutes at Tatanagar. Compare it with other trains in Vande Bharat speed.

20898 running status

This page shows the scheduled timetable; it does not track 20898 live. To see where 20898 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, 20898.
3. Choose the date the train left Ranchi.
4. NTES shows the last station passed, the expected time at each stop and any delay.

If 20898 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.

20898 running days

20898 runs six days a week and does not run on Tuesday. The running day is the day the train leaves Ranchi. The return train 20897 does not run on Tuesday either. Check any date with the running days checker.

20898 fare

IRCTC shows the fare for your exact stations and class when you search for 20898, 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 20898

Book 20898 on IRCTC, the official Indian Railways booking service, or at a reservation counter. Search RNC 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 20898 leaves Ranchi.
• Tatkal: opens at 10:00 IST the day before the train leaves Ranchi.
• First chart: prepared by 20:00 the evening before, for a 06:00 departure from Ranchi. 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.

20898 cancellation deadlines

Cancellation charges depend on how long before 20898 leaves Ranchi 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 20898 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.

20898 coach position and classes

20898 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 20898

Meals on 20898 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 20897

20897 runs the other way, from Howrah at 14:35 to Ranchi at 22:00, in 7 h 25 min, and does not run on Tuesday. Together, 20898 and 20897 make the Ranchi–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.

20898 Vande Bharat FAQs

What is the departure time of 20898?
20898 leaves Ranchi (RNC) at 06:00.

What time does 20898 reach Howrah?
20898 reaches Howrah Jn (HWH) at 13:10, after 7 h 10 min.

How can I check the running status of 20898?
On NTES, the official National Train Enquiry System: enter 20898 and the date the train left Ranchi to see where it is and any delay.

On which days does 20898 run?
Every day except Tuesday, counted from its departure from Ranchi.

How many stops does 20898 have?
6 stops between Ranchi and Howrah: Muri, Kotshila, Purulia, Chandil, Tatanagar, Kharagpur.

When is the chart prepared for 20898?
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 20898?
It is not fixed in advance. The platform is announced at Ranchi on the day; check the station display boards or NTES.

What is the return train of 20898?
20897, from Howrah at 14:35 to Ranchi at 22:00.

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.