PM to flag off Vande Bharat sleeper train in Malda
Times of India | 17 January 2026
Malda: Prime minister Narendra Modi will visit Malda on Saturday morning and flag off the first Vande Bharat Sleeper train of the country, which will connect Howrah in Bengal and Kamakhya in Assam. A number of Amrit Bharat Express trains connecting North Bengal and the North East with south India will also be inaugurated.
Railways minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, reached Malda on Friday evening to supervise the preparations for the event. PM Modi is scheduled to address a public rally after inaugurating the trains. PM will also be interacting with school students at Malda Town Station.
The Vande Bharat Sleeper train comprises 16 modern coaches with a total capacity of 823 passengers. The train operates at speeds of up to 180 kmph and significantly cuts travel time.
Dilip Kumar, executive director of Information & Publicity at the Railway Board, said that the fare for the Howrah to Kamakhya journey in the Third AC (3AC) category was fixed at Rs 2,299. He further added that the fare from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri will be Rs 1,334 and from Howrah to Malda Town will be Rs 960.
In the Second AC (2AC) category, the fare from Howrah to Kamakhya will be Rs 2,970. For the same class, tickets will cost Rs 1,724 from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri and Rs 1,240 from Howrah to Malda Town.
In the First AC (1AC) category, passengers will have to pay Rs 3,640 for travel from Howrah to Kamakhya. The fare from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri will be Rs 2,113, while tickets to Malda Town will be priced at Rs 1,520.
Ajoy Ganguly, district BJP President, said, "We hope for a record gathering, as people from Malda and 2 Dinajpurs will come to listen to the PM. Amid the confusion created by TMC regarding SIR, it will be a huge fillip for our supporters."