Train 18 ticket price out: Delhi-Varanasi AC chair to cost Rs 1,850, executive class Rs 3,520

Indian Railways has announced Train 18 ticket prices and a journey from Delhi to Varanasi in air conditioned chair car of the Vande Bharat Express would cost passengers Rs 1,850 - this is 1.5 times that of Shatabdi Express tickets over the same distance. The executive class fare for the same journey would be Rs 3,520. Both the tickets will also include catering service charges. On its return journey, the chair car ticket will cost Rs 1,795 and the executive car ticket will be priced at Rs 3,470. The executive class fares are 1.4 times of first class air conditioned seating in the premium train. 

It has already been announced that Train 18 passengers will not be able to 'opt out' of meals, unlike other premium trains such as Shatabdi Express, Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express where travellers can choose not to take catering services. However, the passengers travelling the last leg on the route of the semi-high speed train - Allahabad to Varanasi - will have the choice of opting out of the meals provided by the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), in advance while booking their tickets. 

In case the passengers who opt out for the meal but want it during the travel, they will have to shell out an extra Rs 50 for it. 

Watch Zee Business video -

गंभीर बीमारियों की पेटेंट दवाएं सस्ती करने पर क्या है सरकार का प्लान, जानिए बृजेश कुमार से।@AnilSinghviZEE @BrajeshKMZee pic.twitter.com/qFaNOPfvkz

— Zee Business (@ZeeBusiness) February 11, 2019

This comes after the IRCTC had made meals optional on prepaid trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto (which add the meal prices in ticket rates). The decision was taken in 2017 to effectively control unfair practices of overcharging, issues of quality as well quantity and also to avoid wastage of food.

On these Indian Railways trains, passengers have the option to 'not eat' if they do not want the food supplied on board.

Train 18 has two classes of tickets - executive class and chair car - and will have differently priced meals. Those travelling from New Delhi to Kanpur and Prayagraj will have to pay Rs 155 and Rs 122 for executive class and chair car, respectively. From Varanasi to New Delhi, the passengers will be charged Rs 349 and Rs 288 in the executive class and chair, respectively.

Semi-high speed Train 18 is scheduled to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 15. It will cover 755-km distance in eight hours with stoppages at Kanpur and Prayagraj. It will be the fastest train on the route.