CHENNAI: Southern Railway has extended its new current booking facility to all 17 Vande Bharat (VB) trains originating in its zone, allowing passengers to book vacant seats up to 15 minutes before a train’s departure from both originating and en route stations.
The decision follows the success of a pilot project implemented in eight Vande Bharat services in July 2025. According to Southern Railway, the initiative led to a significant rise in last-minute bookings and revenue.
The average number of passengers booking tickets through the facility increased from 16,729 per month during April - June 2025 to 30,267 during August-October 2025 (after implementation of the new current booking system), a growth of 80.93%.
Monthly revenue from current bookings rose from `124.80 lakh to `222.17 lakh, an increase of 78.02%, as per an official release. The railway zone’s Vande Bharat services have also recorded strong growth in ridership and earnings.
During 2025-26, Southern Railway’s 24 Vande Bharat trains carried 77.38 lakh passengers and generated Rs 803.86 crore in revenue, compared to 54.12 lakh passengers and Rs 540.65 crore in 2024-25.
In April and May 2026 alone, the trains carried 15.21 lakh passengers and earned Rs 162.96 crore.