New Delhi, Jan. 1 -- After completing trials, testing, and certification, the government is all set to run the first Vande Bharat sleeper train on the Guwahati-Kolkata route, with fares ranging from nearly Rs.2,300 to Rs.3,600 for different travel classes to Howrah, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday.

During a press conference, he stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first sleeper train soon, according to ANI. He will reportedly inaugurate it within the next 15-20 days, around January 17-18.

Comparing it with airfares on the Guwahati-Howrah route, which he said range between Rs.6,000 and Rs.8,000 and at times go as high as Rs.10,000, Vaishnaw said, "In the Vande Bharat Sleeper, the 3AC fare from Guw...