Current Booking Facility introduced in 8 Vande Bharat Trains

Here are some fascinating facts about the new last-minute ticketing option for Vande Bharat Express trains.

Vande Bharat's New Booking Flexibility
- 15-Minute Window: Passengers can now book tickets up to 15 minutes before train departure, even from intermediate stations—perfect for spontaneous travel plans.
- Current Booking Facility: This feature is being tested on eight routes in South India under the Southern Railway zone, with Western Railway preparing to adopt it soon.
- Real-Time Reservation System Update: The Passenger Reservation System (PRS) has been upgraded to allow these last-minute bookings, marking a shift toward more responsive and modern rail travel.

Efficiency and Accessibility
- Occupancy Over 100%: Vande Bharat trains have been operating at over 102% occupancy, showing just how popular and in-demand they are.
- Smarter Seat Utilization: This change helps fill seats that would otherwise go unused, especially from smaller towns where passengers often miss the advance booking window.

8 Routes with the Current Booking Facility
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

This move is a great example of Indian Railways adapting to the needs of today’s fast-paced, flexible travelers.