Fares for Vande Bharat Express announced

Fare includes catering, which would be deducted if the passengers do not wish to avail of the service

An empty rake of Vande Bharat train at Visakhapatnam railway station. | Photo Credit: V. Raju

The ticket for travel from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam by Vande Bharat Express to be flagged off by video linkage by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday morning will be ₹1,665 in chair class and ₹3,120 in executive class, including catering charges.

In the return direction from Visakhapatnam to Secunderabad, the fare will be ₹1,720 in chair class and ₹3,170 in executive class. The difference in charges in up and down journeys by ₹50 to ₹55 was owing to varied food items in catering service. The passengers will be served tea, breakfast, lunch (ex-Visakhapatnam) and only dinner from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam. However, the menu of food items was not clear though it was said it will depend on local eating habits of passengers.

The train timings from Monday to Saturday of Train No 20834 Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam are Secunderabad 3.00 p.m., Warangal 4.35 p.m., Khammam 5.45 p.m., Vijayawada 7 p.m., Rajahmundry 8.58 p.m. and Visakhapatnam (arrival) 11.30 p.m. On the return journey, the train will depart from Visakhapatnam at 5.45 a.m., Rajahmundry 7.55 a.m., Vijayawada 10 a.m., Khammam 11 a.m., Warangal 12.05 p.m. and reach Secunderabad at 2.15 p.m.

During its maiden journey on Sunday, however, the train will halt at 21 stations en route after leaving the platform at Secunderabad railway station at 10 a.m. It will reach Visakhapatnam at 8.23 p.m. Railway Minister Aswini Vaishnaw will be present at Secunderabad when Mr. Modi flags it off from New Delhi.

The train will have 1,128 seats, including 1,024 in 14 coaches of economy class and 104 of two coaches in executive class. There were no sleeper coaches because the travel was mostly when passengers kept themselves awake. All coaches are air-conditioned.

The charges up to intervening stations from Secunderabad to Visakhapatnam by economy class are: Warangal ₹520, Khammam ₹750, Vijayawada ₹905, Rajahmundry ₹1,365. The base fare up to Visakhapatnam by the same class was fixed at ₹1,207 but the add on charges include reservation ₹40, super fast service ₹45, GST ₹65 and catering of food ₹308. The base fare by executive class is ₹2,485 and add on charges for reservation are ₹60, super fast service ₹75, GST ₹131 and catering ₹369.

The catering charges will be deducted from fare if the passengers did not want to avail the service.