Indian Railways has introduced a major update to help travellers. You can now book a Vande Bharat ticket 15 minutes before departure on selected trains in the Southern Railway zone. This new option is perfect for people who need to travel at the last minute for work, emergencies, or unplanned trips.
How Does the New Feature of Vande Bharat Work?
The Passenger Reservation System (PRS) has been upgraded. Thanks to this, vacant seats will now be shown in real time, and passengers can book them up to 15 minutes before the train leaves their boarding station. Earlier, once the train began its journey from the starting point, Vande Bharat ticket booking rules didn’t allow anyone to book seats from other stations along the route, even when seats were empty, but now things have changed.
This change means more flexibility for passengers and fewer empty seats on trains. Isn’t that a smart move?
Which Vande Bharat Routes Support Last-Minute Ticket Booking?
Here is the list of eight trains where you can book a Vande Bharat ticket 15 minutes before departure:
- 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
These trains connect important cities across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
Why Are Last-minute Vande Bharat Train Tickets Important?
Before this Vande Bharat train ticket booking update, many passengers from smaller towns couldn't travel even if there were empty seats because booking closed once the train started its journey. Now, last-minute Vande Bharat ticket booking is possible, solving that problem.
With the new system, passengers can get last-minute Vande Bharat train tickets more easily, especially when plans change suddenly.
According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Vande Bharat trains are very popular. The occupancy rate was over 100% in both 2024-25 and 2025-26 (till June). This shows how important it is to let more people board, even at the last minute. Thus, this move was required.
Summary of the Vande Bharat Train Ticket Booking Update
- You can now book a Vande Bharat ticket 15 minutes before departure.
- This is available on eight specific trains under the Southern Railway zone.
- How does the new feature of Vande Bharat work? Real-time seat updates let passengers grab empty seats even after the train has left its starting station.
- This change makes last-minute Vande Bharat train tickets accessible for more travellers.
- It’s a big improvement in Vande Bharat ticket booking rules and increases seat usage.
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