Indian Railways has introduced specific booking rules for its Vande Bharat Sleeper Express services. Passengers will not be able to use the Tatkal facility or book tickets under dynamic or flexi-fare pricing. The trains will also not offer Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) or waitlisted tickets.
All tickets must be booked through the regular reservation system, and only confirmed berths will be issued. This makes advance planning important for passengers, particularly during busy travel periods.
Vande Bharat Sleeper Has 823 Berths
The fully air-conditioned, 16-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper train has a total capacity of 823 berths across three classes.
| Travel Class | Number of Berths |
| AC 3-Tier | 611 |
| AC 2-Tier | 188 |
| AC First Class | 24 |
| Total | 823 |
Special Reservation Quotas
Indian Railways has earmarked six berths for women passengers in AC 3-Tier. Another 21 berths have been allocated for railway staff travelling on duty passes.
Other applicable reservation provisions include quotas for women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and railway employees travelling on duty passes.
Three Vande Bharat Sleeper Routes Introduced
The first three pairs of Vande Bharat Sleeper services are operating on these routes:
- Howrah–Kamakhya (Guwahati)
- New Delhi–Varanasi Cantt
- Mumbai CSMT–SMVT Bengaluru
With no Tatkal, RAC or waiting-list facility, passengers will need to check berth availability and book through the regular advance reservation system.
