Now, you can get a confirmed seat on Vande Bharat just 15 minutes before departure time. No, we are not joking here. The Indian Railways has announced a new feature for Vande Bharat Express passengers.
It allows booking of confirmed tickets up to 15 minutes before departure. The move, currently rolled out under the Southern Railway zone, is expected to benefit last-minute travellers while also improving seat utilisation on these premium trains.
Until now, passengers had to book their tickets well in advance, and once the train left its originating station, vacant seats would remain unused. Experts believe the new option will encourage more flexible travel and prevent wastage of capacity. “It gives passengers, especially business and emergency travellers, more convenience and confidence that they can still board at the last moment,” a senior railway official said.
Applies to Eight Vande Bharat Routes
The scheme covers eight Vande Bharat Express trains across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The eligible routes include:
– 20631 Mangaluru Central – Thiruvananthapuram Central
– 20632 Thiruvananthapuram Central – Mangaluru Central
– 20627 Chennai Egmore – Nagercoil
– 20628 Nagercoil – Chennai Egmore
– 20642 Coimbatore – Bengaluru Cantt.
– 20646 Mangaluru Central – Madgaon
– 20671 Madurai – Bengaluru Cantt.
– 20677 Dr MGR Chennai Central – Vijayawada
Officials added that the initiative may later be expanded to other zones depending on passenger response.
How to Book Last-Minute Vande Bharat Tickets
Passengers can book their tickets using either the IRCTC website or the IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app. The process is simple and user-friendly:
– Visit www.irctc.co.in or open the app.
– Log in with existing credentials or create a new account.
– Enter travel details including boarding point, destination, and date.
– Check real-time seat availability.
– Select class (Executive Class or Chair Car) and boarding station.
– Make the payment digitally and receive the ticket instantly by SMS and email.
Looking Ahead
The Vande Bharat Express has already established itself as a symbol of India’s modern railway infrastructure. By adding last-minute ticketing, Indian Railways hopes to make the service even more accessible. If successful, the scheme could be extended to other premium trains, further enhancing passenger convenience.
