Overview
- The inaugural Vande Bharat sleeper now runs between Howrah and Kamakhya with 16 AC coaches across First, 2-tier and 3-tier classes, seating capacity of about 823, and an expected time saving of roughly 2.5 hours on the route.
- Five new Amrit Bharat Express services were introduced on Guwahati (Kamakhya)–Rohtak, Dibrugarh–Lucknow (Gomti Nagar), Howrah–Anand Vihar Terminal, Sealdah–Banaras and Santragachi–Tambaram routes using LHB push–pull rakes with upgraded non‑AC amenities.
- The Railway Board’s Amrit Bharat II fare policy sets non‑AC sleeper fares at approximately ₹500 per 1,000 km with no dynamic pricing and minimum chargeable distances of 200 km for Sleeper and 50 km for Second class.
- Four additional Amrit Bharat trains were flagged off a day earlier from New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar to Nagercoil, Tiruchirappalli, SMVT Bengaluru and Mumbai (Panvel) to expand long‑distance coverage.
- The Centre announced about ₹3,250 crore in related rail and road works in West Bengal and Assam, while reiterating Vande Bharat fleet goals of roughly 800 trainsets by 2030 and around 4,500 by 2047.