The Vande Bharat Sleeper train will have no provision for RAC or partially confirmed tickets, and the minimum chargeable distance will be 400 km, the Railway Board said in a circular. The first sleeper version of the Vande Bharat train is scheduled to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17 on the Guwahati-Kolkata route.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced the tentative fares for all three classes - AC 1, AC 2 and AC 3 - between the two stations on January 1, 2026.

The circular, dated January 9, detailed the fare structure, according to which a passenger will have to pay Rs 1,520, Rs 1,240 and Rs 960 for a confirmed berth in AC 1, AC 2 and AC 3 classes, respectively, for travel over any distance between 1 km and 400 km.

Beyond 400 km, charges will be calculated on a per-kilometre basis at Rs 3.20 for AC 1, Rs 3.10 for AC 2 and Rs 2.40 for AC 3.

"Goods and Services Tax as applicable shall be levied separately. Minimum chargeable distance shall be 400 km. Rounding off of fare shall be made as per the existing principle. Only confirmed tickets shall be issued for this train. Accordingly, there shall be no provision for RAC/waitlisted/partially confirmed tickets," the board's circular said.

It added, "There shall be only Ladies quota, quota for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), Senior Citizen quota and Duty Pass quota as per existing instructions issued from time to time. No other reservation quota shall be applicable in this train.” Regarding berth allocation, it stated, "Wherever a passenger is travelling with a child for whom a separate berth is not required, the system shall, if available, allocate a lower berth. For male passengers 60 years and above and female passengers of 45 years and above, the system will try to allot a lower berth automatically, subject to availability and compaction." "To enable initiation of refund within 24 hours of cancellation, all payments shall be accepted only digitally. When a ticket is purchased at the window, the preferred payment mode shall be digital. In case a customer is unable to make a digital payment, the refund against cancellation will be made as per normal terms," it added.

Officials said the commercial circular may undergo minor amendments, details of which will be disseminated to the general public.

When asked about the commercial run of the train for regular passengers, officials said it may begin soon after the launch, with details to be issued through an official circular.

Officials said that passengers will receive a completely upgraded bedroll, including blanket covers. It will be a modern bedroll with better quality as compared to regular trains.

The train will also be provided with local cuisine onboard.