Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express to commercially run from October 5; bookings open, check fare details.

NewDelhi: The first commercial run of the Vande Bharat Express plying between Delhi and Katra will begin on October 5 and booking of tickets is now open on the IRCTC website, the Railways said.

For its inaugural run, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will flag off the Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express on October 3 from Delhi. The fast-speed train will reduce the travelling time between Delhi and Katra from 12 hours to eight hours, which is a piece of great news for lakhs of pilgrims visiting the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi, as Katra is the last railway station to Vaishno Devi temple.

The ticket fare of Vande Bharat Express from Delhi to Katra for A/C chair car seat has been pegged at Rs 1,570 which includes base fare of Rs 1,116, reservation charge Rs 40, superfast charge Rs 45, Total GST Rs 61 and catering charges Rs 308)

For executive chair car seat, the ticket price has been pegged at Rs 2,965. The breakdown of which is– base fare Rs 2,337 + reservation charge Rs 60 + superfast charge Rs 75 + total GST Rs 124 + catering charges Rs 369.

For people travelling from Katra to Delhi, the ticket fare of Vand Bharat Express for its A/C chair car seat has been pegged at Rs 1,570, the breakdown of which is as follows– base fare Rs 1,116 + reservation charge Rs 40 + superfast charge Rs 45 + total GST Rs 61 + catering charges Rs 308.

For executive chair car seat, the ticket price has been set at Rs 2,965 which includes base fare of Rs 2,337, reservation charge Rs 60, superfast charge Rs 75, total GST Rs 124, and catering charges Rs 369.

Earlier, Indian Railway Board chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav had said that the Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat train trials have been finished and it will be a gift to pilgrims. He also added that Railways is trying to upgrade the busy routes. Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah will be ready by December 2021.

Yadav said that 40 Vande Bharat trains will come out by 2022. The Railways is working on new specifications for the trains.

The first Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Delhi-Varanasi route.

Bureau Report