Vande Bharat Express: Currently, this new feature is available on eight Vande Bharat trains that operate under the Southern Railway (SR) zone, including major routes in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.
For the convenience of the passengers, the Indian Railways has rolled out a new feature allowing passengers to book tickets on select Vande Bharat Express trains just 15 minutes before the train arrives at their station.
Where is this facility available?
Currently, this new feature is available on eight Vande Bharat trains that operate under the Southern Railway (SR) zone, including major routes in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.
The Southern Railway zone said, โFor the 8ย Vande Bharatย trains originating from Southern Railway, current reservations can be done at en route stations up to 15 minutes before the departure.โ
Earlier, once a Vande Bharat Express left its origin station, no bookings was made from the en route stations. However, now due to updates in the Passenger Reservation System (PRS), vacant seats will be open for current bookings right up to 15 minutes before departure from any stop.
It should be noted that there are currently 144ย Vande Bharat Expressย trains operating around the nation on different routes and this move is aimed at providing convenience to passengers and simplifying the booking process, particularly for those with sudden or unplanned journeys.
List of trains that offer last-minute booking service:
20631 Mangaluru Central โ Thiruvananthapuram Central
20632 Thiruvananthapuram Central โ Mangaluru Central
20627 Chennai Egmore โ Nagercoil
20628 Nagercoil โ Chennai Egmore
20642 Coimbatore โ Bengaluru Cantt.
20646 Mangaluru Central โ Madgaon
20671 Madurai โ Bengaluru Cantt.
20677 Dr MGR Chennai Central โ Vijayawada
Vande Bharat Express: How to book tickets 15 minutes before departure?
- First visit the official website of IRCTC at www.irctc.co.in or use the IRCTC Rail Connect app.
- On the home page, log in with your credentials and sign up if you are a new user.
- On the next page, enter your travel details such as departure and arrival stations, date, and train type.
- Check seat availability.
- Choose your boarding station and class, such as Executive or Chair car.
- Make the payment on UPI.
- After it is booked, you will receive the e-ticket on the registered mobile number or email address associated with your account.
What are the benefits of last-minute booking
The new feature for train passengers brings several advantages. The new feature helps those making sudden plans by removing the need to rely on wait lists or alternate transport. The new feature also ensures that vacant seats can be quickly allotted to passengers, increasing occupancy levels.