India Vande Bharat Express Now Offers Last Minute Ticket Booking Just 15 Minutes Before Departure
India’s prestigious Vande Bharat Express is enhancing passenger convenience with a new “current booking” facility, allowing travelers to secure tickets just 15 minutes before the train’s departure. This significant update, currently in a pilot phase with Southern Railway across eight Vande Bharat trains since July 17, enables passengers to book available seats online, even from intermediate stations. Western Railway is also reportedly preparing to implement this streamlined system shortly.
Historically, once a Vande Bharat train commenced its journey from the originating station, ticket booking from subsequent stations was closed, often resulting in vacant seats. The revised system aims to optimize train occupancy and provide greater flexibility for last-minute travel plans. This benefit extends to both the starting station and en-route halts, meaning passengers can now secure a ticket up to 15 minutes before the train’s scheduled departure from their specific boarding point, subject to real-time seat availability.
Among the routes currently piloting this facility are the Mangaluru Central–Thiruvananthapuram Central Vande Bharat Express and its return journey, along with other key services under Southern Railway’s jurisdiction. If the pilot project yields positive results and favorable passenger feedback, Indian Railways intends to expand this user-friendly feature across its entire Vande Bharat network nationwide, further enhancing the accessibility of its premium train services.
This strategic move by Indian Railways underscores its commitment to modernizing and improving the passenger experience on its semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains. By simplifying the booking process for spontaneous travel and maximizing seat utilization, the initiative ensures efficient resource management while offering unparalleled convenience for a growing number of commuters across the country.
