Indian Railways has introduced stringent new cancellation and refund rules for the newly launched Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, making ticket cancellations a costlier affair for passengers. According to notifications from the Railway Board, if a confirmed ticket is cancelled more than 72 hours before the scheduled departure, a 25% deduction will be applied to the fare. For cancellations made between 72 hours and eight hours prior to departure, passengers will incur a 50% cancellation charge. Crucially, there will be no refund whatsoever if a ticket is cancelled less than eight hours before the train's scheduled departure, or if a Ticket Deposit Receipt (TDR) is not filed online within this timeframe. These updated policies are significantly stricter compared to the existing rules for other Indian Railways services, including the operational Vande Bharat chair-car trains. The changes have been implemented as the Railways has begun preparing reservation charts eight hours before a train's departure, a shift from the previous four-hour norm. Furthermore, the new Vande Bharat Sleeper services will not offer a Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) facility, meaning only confirmed tickets will be issued. The minimum chargeable distance for travel on these premium sleeper trains has been fixed at 400 kilometers. Reservation quotas will be limited to ladies, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and duty passes, with no other reservation categories applicable. The first Vande Bharat Sleeper train commenced commercial operations on January 17, 2026, connecting Howrah and Kamakhya (Guwahati).