Fractional derivative has perfectly adopted to model few physical phenomena such as viscoelasticity of coiling polymers, traffic construction, fluid dynamics and electrical networks. However, the application of the fractional derivatives for describing the physical characteristics of non-Newtonian fluid over a moving plate is still rare. In the present study, the effect of the Caputo fractional derivative on the Casson fluid flow which is induced by an accelerated plate is analytically analysed. The governing equations are initially transformed into dimensionless expressions by using suitable dimensionless variables. Then the Laplace transform method is utilized to calculate the exact solutions for the fractional governing partial differential equations. The obtained solutions are validated by comparing the results for specific case with the existing solutions in the literature. The impact of fractional parameter, Prandtl number, and time on the velocity and temperature profiles are graphically showed and discussed. The results depict that the temperature and velocity increase with the increment of fractional parameter and time. Interestingly, the velocity decreases at region near the plate but is enhanced at the area far away from the plate when the Casson fluid parameter is increased. This study is essential in understanding the factional non-Newtonian fluid flows which is more realistic in nature.