Southern-Railway-Enables Vande Bharat Train

Last-minute booking facility now offered on eight Vande Bharat trains operating under the Southern Railway (SR) zone.

In a move aimed at enhancing passenger convenience, Indian Railways has introduced a new feature that allows last-minute ticket bookings on eight Vande Bharat Express trains operating under the Southern Railway (SR) zone. Passengers can now reserve tickets up to 15 minutes before the train departs from their designated boarding station.

This upgrade is part of a recent enhancement to the Passenger Reservation System (PRS), which now reflects real-time seat availability. Previously, once a Vande Bharat train commenced its journey from the originating station, bookings were closed across all subsequent stops. This left many vacant seats unutilized, even as passengers from intermediate stations struggled to find tickets. The revised system is expected to make better use of available capacity and accommodate last-minute travel needs.

The new facility is especially beneficial for unplanned travelers—those on urgent work trips, facing personal emergencies, or making spontaneous travel plans. By offering more flexibility, the railways aim to improve the overall passenger experience while maximizing seat occupancy.

The Southern Railway zone, which covers key regions across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, is the first to implement this feature across select Vande Bharat routes.

Trains with Last-Minute 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

With this real-time ticketing feature, Indian Railways takes another step toward smarter and more passenger-friendly train travel.