Now book Vande Bharat train tickets 15 minutes before departure with confirmed seat at no extra cost: A step-by-step guide and list of eligibile trains

Indian Railways has made travel on the Vande Bharat Express more convenient by allowing passengers to book confirmed tickets up to 15 minutes before the train departs. The move is designed to help last-minute travellers and make better use of vacant seats after the train leaves its starting station resulting in better capacity utilization for the premium service.

As of now, this facility is available only on eight Vande Bharat Express trains running in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. These include:

1. 20631 Mangaluru Central – Thiruvananthapuram Central
2. 20632 Thiruvananthapuram Central – Mangaluru Central
3. 20627 Chennai Egmore – Nagercoil
4. 20628 Nagercoil – Chennai Egmore
5. 20642 Coimbatore – Bengaluru Cantt.
6. 20646 Mangaluru Central – Madgaon
7. 20671 Madurai – Bengaluru Cantt.
8. 20677 Dr MGR Chennai Central – Vijayawada

Passengers boarding from intermediate stations on these routes can also take advantage of the last-minute booking window.

Though the feature is currently limited to eight trains in the Southern Railway zone, officials are expected to expand it to more routes in the coming months.

How to book a Vande Bharat ticket online

• Visit the IRCTC website (www.irctc.co.in) or open the Rail Connect app.
• Log in with your account or sign up if you’re new.
• Enter your journey details and select the Vande Bharat train.
• Check real-time seat availability.
• Choose your class (Executive Class or Chair Car) and boarding station.
• Make payment online and get the e-ticket instantly via SMS and email.

The facility is also available at PRS counters at railway stations.

This facility is especially helpful for passengers requiring to travel at the last minute, as it offers an opportunity to make travel plans even at the last minute. From railways’ perspective it ensures better seat utilisation on these popular trains. Fares for the last minute booking are the same as regular bookings, with no extra charges for last-minute reservations. Cancellations are allowed as per existing Indian Railways rules.