In a welcome move for last-minute travellers, Indian Railways has quietly introduced one of its most thoughtful changes recently. Passengers on select Vande Bharat Express trains can now book tickets just 15 minutes before the train departs—even from intermediate stations. Whether your plans were made on the fly or your original booking fell through, this new flexibility brings genuine relief.
This last-minute ticketing option—called the current booking facility—is currently being tested on eight Vande Bharat routes in South India under the Southern Railway zone. Encouragingly, the Western Railway is preparing to follow suit, signalling a broader rollout in the coming months.
A Timely Shift for Today’s Traveller
Until recently, the rules were rigid: once a Vande Bharat train left its origin station, bookings from any en-route station were off the table. As a result, seats often went unfilled while passengers from smaller towns or secondary stops had no way to board—even when there was space.
That’s changing with the latest update to the Passenger Reservation System (PRS), which now allows real-time bookings up to 15 minutes before departure, reflecting Indian Railways’ response to a new generation of spontaneous, time-pressed travellers.
For India’s growing tribe of time-strapped professionals, spontaneous holidaymakers, and passengers from smaller towns, this shift spells relief. It not only accommodates the unpredictability of modern life but also ensures more efficient seat utilisation on one of the country’s most premium train services.
Where Is the Service Currently Available?
As of now, the current booking facility is active on the following eight Vande Bharat Express routes:
- 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
According to railway officials, passengers on these routes can check seat availability and make bookings online, even if they missed the conventional advance reservation window.
A Step Towards Smarter, More Thoughtful Rail Travel
This isn’t just a systems upgrade—it’s a rare example of the railway bureaucracy aligning with the reality of how people actually travel. In recent years, Vande Bharat trains have consistently operated at full throttle, with occupancy figures exceeding 102% last financial year and creeping even higher this year. Clearly, these trains aren’t just popular—they’re oversubscribed.
What this new booking flexibility does is simple, but significant: it recognises that not all journeys are planned weeks in advance. For travellers from smaller towns or less-connected regions, where reservation windows often close before plans can be confirmed, the option to book a seat just 15 minutes before departure isn’t just convenient—it’s empowering.
And in the broader context, it’s a smart move. It means fewer empty seats on high-demand routes. It means better resource use. But above all, it means that Indian Railways is starting to travel at the pace of its passengers—one real-world adjustment at a time.
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