Vande Bharat vs Shatabdi: Which Is Faster and Cheaper?

Both are daytime, all-reserved, air-conditioned Chair Car trains with CC and EC classes and an optional meal. The differences are speed, how the fare is built, and timing. This guide compares them on real routes with fares taken from IRCTC.

Vande Bharat Express vs Shatabdi at a glance

The fare multipliers are set by the Ministry of Railways. The Vande Bharat speed figures are also the Ministry’s. We have not listed a top speed for Shatabdi because we have not checked an official figure for it.

Which is faster, Shatabdi or Vande Bharat Express?

On both routes where we could compare the two trains on the same stations, Vande Bharat was faster.

The Ministry of Railways gives Vande Bharat a design speed of 180 km/h and a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h. The speed actually allowed on each section depends on the track, the number of stops and the timetable, so the time saved varies from route to route: an hour on one, half an hour on another.

To compare any two trains fairly, compare the scheduled time between the same two stations on the same date. Use the official schedule enquiry or our Vande Bharat time table tool.

Vande Bharat vs Shatabdi fare: a real comparison

Here is IRCTC’s own fare breakdown for one adult in CC, Howrah to Puri, checked on 11 November 2026:

IRCTC rounds each total up to the next ₹5, which is why the Shatabdi parts add up to ₹4 less than its total. Three things stand out:

1. The base fare is about 1.4 times higher on Vande Bharat (₹983 against ₹708), exactly as the Ministry’s rule says.
2. Shatabdi added ₹284 of dynamic fare on this date, which narrowed the gap to just ₹75 with meals.
3. Without meals, Vande Bharat was slightly cheaper than Shatabdi on this date, and over an hour faster.

The dynamic fare on Shatabdi changes with demand, so on a quiet day Shatabdi can be noticeably cheaper than Vande Bharat. On a busy day the two can cost almost the same.

Do Vande Bharat trains have a dynamic fare?

No. The Ministry of Railways said in February 2026 that there is no plan to bring dynamic fares to Vande Bharat Chair Car or Sleeper trains. Every Vande Bharat fare we checked on IRCTC showed a dynamic fare of ₹0. That means the Vande Bharat price stays the same however full the train is: only the availability changes. Shatabdi, by contrast, can carry a dynamic component, as the Howrah–Puri example shows.

Timing: which train suits your day?

On many routes the two trains run at different times of day, and that can matter more than price. On Howrah–Puri, the Vande Bharat leaves Howrah at 06:10 and reaches Puri at 13:00, while the Shatabdi leaves Howrah at 14:15 and reaches Puri at 22:10. If you want a full afternoon in Puri, the morning Vande Bharat is the obvious choice. If you need to work in the morning first, the afternoon Shatabdi fits better.

Which should you book?

Book Vande Bharat if:

• you want the fastest daytime train on the route;
• you want a fixed price that does not rise as seats sell;
• the Vande Bharat departure time suits you better.

Book Shatabdi if:

• its fare is lower on your date, which is likely when demand is low;
• its timing suits you better;
• Vande Bharat is waitlisted. Check the Shatabdi before giving up on a daytime train.

Whichever you choose, compare the total with or without a meal on IRCTC for your exact date and class, not just the base fare.

Are Vande Bharat trains replacing Shatabdi?

On the two routes in this guide, both trains were running in November 2026: the Howrah–Puri Shatabdi (12277) appeared alongside the Vande Bharat on IRCTC on 11 November 2026, and the Chennai–Mysuru Shatabdi (12007) has its own timetable. We have not found an official statement that Shatabdi trains are being withdrawn because of Vande Bharat. If that changes on a route, we will record it on our updates page.

Where your money goes on each train

Splitting the same IRCTC fares of 11 November 2026 into shares of the total shows how differently the two trains are priced on Howrah–Puri in CC:

On the Vande Bharat Express, two-thirds of what you pay is the base fare and none of it changes with demand. On the Shatabdi, a fifth of the fare on that date was dynamic pricing. That is why the gap between the two trains can grow or shrink from one day to the next, while the Vande Bharat train price stays the same until Indian Railways revises fares.

How to compare on your own date

1. Search your stations and date on IRCTC and note the Vande Bharat and Shatabdi trains.
2. Click CC on each to see the fare, then compare with and without meals.
3. Compare journey time and departure time, not just price.
4. Check the waiting list on both, and the EC class if CC is full.

Vande Bharat vs Shatabdi FAQs

Which is faster, Shatabdi or Vande Bharat? Vande Bharat, on the routes we compared: 1 hour 5 minutes faster from Howrah to Puri and 30 minutes faster from Chennai Central to Mysuru.

Is Vande Bharat costlier than Shatabdi? The Vande Bharat base fare is 1.4 times Shatabdi’s in CC and 1.3 times in EC. But Shatabdi can add a dynamic fare, so the total can be close. On Howrah–Puri on 11 November 2026, Vande Bharat cost ₹1,485 and Shatabdi ₹1,410 in CC with meals.

Does Shatabdi have a dynamic fare and Vande Bharat not? On our check, Shatabdi 12277 had ₹284 of dynamic fare, and Vande Bharat had none. The Ministry of Railways says there is no plan for dynamic fares on Vande Bharat.

Is food included in both trains? In both, the meal is optional and chosen at booking. The meal charge was ₹363 on the Vande Bharat and ₹275 on the Shatabdi from Howrah to Puri.

Do both trains have CC and EC? Yes. Both offer AC Chair Car (CC) and Executive Chair Car (EC). See CC vs EC.

Has Shatabdi been discontinued after Vande Bharat? Not on the routes in this guide: both were running in November 2026.

Is Vande Bharat Express better than Shatabdi? On the routes we compared, the Vande Bharat Express was faster: 6 hours 50 minutes against 7 hours 55 minutes on Howrah–Puri, and 6 hours 30 minutes against 7 hours on Chennai–Mysuru. Its base fare is higher, but it has no dynamic fare, so on busy days the total can be close to Shatabdi’s.

Which is more expensive, Vande Bharat train or Shatabdi, without food? On Howrah–Puri on 11 November 2026, the Vande Bharat train cost ₹1,122 in CC without the meal and the Shatabdi about ₹1,135, so the Vande Bharat was slightly cheaper on that date. On a quiet day, when Shatabdi’s dynamic fare is low, Shatabdi can be cheaper.

Related

• Vande Bharat ticket price
• Howrah – Puri Vande Bharat
• Vande Bharat fare calculator
• Vande Bharat speed and fastest routes

Sources

Fares and timings for 22895 and 12277: IRCTC fare enquiry, 11 November 2026. Chennai–Mysuru times: erail 20607 and erail 12007. Fare rule: Ministry of Railways via PIB. No dynamic fare: PIB, February 2026. Speed: PIB. Report a correction.