Railways introduces Amrit Bharat II Express: No RAC, Sleeper passengers to pay minimum 200 km fare

Indian Railways has decided to introduce the Amrit Bharat II Express across its network, with services commencing from January 2026 onwards, reported on Saturday quoting Railway Board officials. The new-generation trains aim to offer affordable and safe long-distance inter-state travel with revised fare and ticketing rules.

According to the Railway Board, the basic fare of Amrit Bharat II Express will remain unchanged from the earlier Amrit Bharat services. However, a minimum chargeable distance has been fixed at 200 km for Sleeper class and 50 km for Second class passengers. The base fare will be Rs 149 for Sleeper journeys up to 200 km and Rs 36 for Second class journeys up to 50 km, while additional charges such as reservation fees and superfast surcharge will be levied separately.

The Board has also made significant changes to reservation norms. RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) facility will no longer be available in Sleeper class on these trains. All available berths will be opened from the first day of the Advance Reservation Period, while unreserved Second class ticketing will continue as per existing provisions.

Reservation quotas in Sleeper class have been restricted to three categories only—Ladies quota, Persons with Disabilities quota, and Senior Citizen quota. No other reservation quotas will apply for this train, although Duty Pass eligibility for railway employees will remain the same as in Mail and Express trains.

The Railway Board has further outlined rules on lower berth allocation and refunds. The system will attempt to allot lower berths to senior citizens and passengers travelling with children not requiring separate berths, subject to availability. For reserved tickets, payments will be accepted digitally to enable faster refunds, while unreserved Second class ticketing will follow existing norms.