Western Railway has announced a temporary increase in the seating capacity of the Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express. The train will now operate with 20 coaches instead of the usual 16 to manage the high number of passengers. This change will remain effective until March 7, 2026. Today also marks exactly three years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Mumbai-Solapur and Mumbai-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat routes.
Ticket Prices and Cancellation Rules
Indian Railways has updated the refund policies for these premium trains to ensure seat availability. Passengers should note that no refund will be granted if a ticket is cancelled less than 8 hours before the train departs. A 50 percent fee applies if the cancellation happens between 8 to 72 hours before the journey. The current estimated fares for the popular Mumbai routes are listed below.
| Route | Class | Fare (With Food) |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai-Solapur | Chair Car | ₹1,300 |
| Mumbai-Solapur | Executive | ₹2,365 |
| Mumbai-Shirdi | Chair Car | ₹975 |
| Mumbai-Shirdi | Executive | ₹1,840 |
Recent Incidents and Sleeper Updates
Operations faced a disruption yesterday when the Mumbai-Goa Vande Bharat Express hit buffaloes near Sindhudurg. The accident damaged overhead power lines and caused a delay of nearly four hours for several trains, including the Rajdhani Express. On a positive note, the recently launched Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are running with fixed fares and no dynamic pricing. Passengers must hold a confirmed ticket to board as the Reservation Against Cancellation or RAC facility is not available on these sleeper services.