Nagpur: The capacity of the Nagpur-Bilaspur Vande Bharat Express is significantly higher than expected, making affordable ticket prices unlikely. Despite the grand announcements made, the train initially had 16 coaches. However, due to low response, the number of coaches was reduced from 16 to 8. But now, with the increased number of passengers, railway authorities say that reducing ticket prices will not be feasible.
The Railway Board has announced a reduction in fares for all trains with AC Chair Car, Executive Class, and Vista Dome coaches by up to 25 percent. They stated that in order to accommodate more passengers by reserving a higher number of seats in train coaches, the prices have been revised. Within the past 30 days, more than 50 percent of the seats have been reserved in the trains. The Railway Board has informed various zones of the railways to initiate the process of granting concessions.
Gold Rate
Friday 31 Jan. 2025
The Nagpur-Bilaspur Vande Bharat Express was launched in December 2022 with 16 coaches. Later, from May 17, 2023, it was operated with 8 coaches. As the train had 16 coaches, reservations were easily available due to the lower passenger count. However, the response was low, resulting in fewer bookings. In order to minimize losses and increase passenger count, the decision was made to operate the train with 8 coaches. Now, getting reservations for passengers has become challenging, leading to an increase in waiting lists even with 8 coaches.
Expectations for Respite
The train offers AC Chair Car and Executive Chair Car coaches. The fare for AC Chair Car is Rs 1,240, while for Executive Chair Car, it is Rs 2,240. Due to the higher ticket prices, passengers can expect some relief during their travel. However, railway authorities have mentioned that due to the higher passenger count (occupancy), ticket prices for the Nagpur-Bilaspur and Bilaspur-Nagpur Vande Bharat Express are unlikely to be reduced.
The Nagpur-Bilaspur Vande Bharat Express does not experience low passenger counts. Hence, reducing ticket prices seems unlikely.
