Tejas Rajdhani faster, cheaper than Vande Bharat Chair Car on Delhi-Patna route: Officials

Officials stated that the New Delhi-Patna Vande Bharat Chair Car, a special train introduced by the Railway Ministry to handle peak holiday crowds, charges a higher fare and takes longer to reach its destination than the Tejas Rajdhani Express on the same route.

They asserted that even though the Vande Bharat Chair Car lacks the AC sleeper accommodations of the Rajdhani, its modern equipment and superior passenger amenities rationalize the increased cost.

IRCTC website data shows that a Chair Car seat on the Vande Bharat Special (Train No. 2252) from New Delhi to Patna costs Rs 2,615, whereas an AC 3-tier ticket on the Tejas Rajdhani costs Rs 2,545 during the festive period.


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The website also reveals that the Vande Bharat takes 12 hours and 55 minutes to travel the roughly 1,000-km distance between New Delhi and Patna, whereas the Tejas Rajdhani—the fastest service along the corridor—completes the run in 11 hours and 28 minutes.

Numerous travellers on the train reported that sitting upright over a 1,000-km trip caused extreme discomfort. Nevertheless, because all AC and non-AC sleeper options across both regular and special trains remained completely booked for another week leading up to Chhath, passengers were forced to rely on the Vande Bharat.

A segment of commuters called on the Railways, as the country's public carrier, to refrain from maximizing profits during peak travel periods, claiming that the network is imposing inflated rates when travelers have few alternatives during the holidays.

“Tejas Rajdhani is not only the fastest but also the most convenient and comfortable train on this route. Travelling long distances in a seated position can never be more comfortable than travelling in a sleeper-class coach,” a passenger said, adding that even other trains such as Sampoorna Kranti are faster and cheaper than Vande Bharat.

Authorities acknowledged that the Vande Bharat Chair Car is designed primarily for medium-distance intercity sectors under 700 km. Even so, it was pressed into service between New Delhi and Patna to absorb the extra holiday traffic.

Underlining its main highlights, the Railway Ministry noted that the Vande Bharat's semi-permanent jerk-free couplers and upgraded suspension setup offer a smoother ride, while its regenerative braking system lowers energy use during transit.

Centrally controlled automatic plug doors, fully sealed wider gangways, modern air-conditioning systems, indigenously developed UV-C lamp-based disinfection systems, CCTV cameras, emergency alarm push buttons and passenger-crew talk-back units in all coaches are among the features that represent a new phase in India's premium passenger rail services, it added.

“Earlier, the Vande Bharat Chair Car was first deployed between New Delhi and Patna during the Bihar Assembly elections. However, the service was discontinued soon after the elections,” a railway official said.

He added, “It has now been reintroduced keeping in mind the growing travel demand. Once the need subsides, the service will be discontinued again.”

Connecting New Delhi and Patna represents one of the most heavily trafficked rail sectors nationwide year-round. Volume spikes significantly during major festivals, obligating the Railways to run additional services.

Riders have voiced the need for additional permanent train runs to handle the consistently high travel volume across the year.

In addition to the six-day-a-week Vande Bharat Chair Car, the Railway Ministry has launched over 10 extra train services, including three that run daily.

“Besides these scheduled special train services, several unreserved trains are being deployed daily from Delhi to various destinations, depending on passenger demand and the sale of unreserved tickets,” a senior railway official said.