What the Vande Bharat chart preparation time tool does
The reservation chart is the moment your Vande Bharat Express booking becomes final. Waiting lists are settled, confirmed passengers get their coach and seat, and waitlisted e-tickets that did not confirm are cancelled. This tool tells you when that happens for your train. Choose a Vande Bharat train and the date it leaves its first station, and it shows when the first chart is due, in IST, using the rule Indian Railways applies to all reserved trains.
It is useful for three questions passengers ask most often: "When will I know if my waiting-list ticket is confirmed?", "Until when can I still cancel?" and "When will my coach and seat show on my PNR?"
How to use the tool
- Choose your Vande Bharat train. The list includes Chair Car and Sleeper trains, each with its number and first and last stations.
- Enter the date the train leaves its first station. For a daytime Vande Bharat Chair Car this is your travel date.
- Read the result. It shows the time by which the first chart is prepared and reminds you that the final chart comes at least 30 minutes before departure.
The rule
| Train leaves its first station | First chart |
|---|---|
| 05:01 to 14:00 | By 20:00 the evening before |
| 14:01 to 05:00 | 10 hours before departure |
| Any train, final chart | At least 30 minutes before departure |
This timing has been in force since 30 December 2025 under a Railway Board circular. Earlier the first chart for morning trains was made by 21:00 and for others 8 hours before. The Ministry of Railways confirmed on 24 March 2026 (PIB) that charts are now made 9 to 18 hours before departure, which matches the rule above: 9 hours for a 05:01 departure, 18 hours for one at 14:00. The rule depends only on the departure time at the first station, not on your boarding station.
Chart times for popular Vande Bharat Express trains
Vande Bharat trains usually run out in the morning and back in the afternoon, so the two directions of the same route often fall on different sides of the rule:
| Train | Leaves first station | First chart by |
|---|---|---|
| 22895 Howrah–Puri | HWH 06:10 | 20:00 the evening before |
| 22896 Puri–Howrah | PURI 13:40 | 20:00 the evening before |
| 22229 Mumbai CSMT–Madgaon | CSMT 05:25 | 20:00 the evening before |
| 22230 Madgaon–Mumbai CSMT | MAO 14:40 | 04:40 the same day |
| 22961 Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad | MMCT 15:45 | 05:45 the same day |
| 22436 New Delhi–Varanasi | NDLS 06:00 | 20:00 the evening before |
| 22416 New Delhi–Varanasi | NDLS 15:00 | 05:00 the same day |
| 20643 Chennai Central–Coimbatore | MAS 14:15 | 04:15 the same day |
| 27422 New Delhi–Varanasi Sleeper | NDLS 21:40 | 11:40 the same day |
| 27651 Mumbai CSMT–SMVT Bengaluru Sleeper | CSMT 20:10 | 10:10 the same day |
So a passenger on the morning New Delhi–Varanasi Vande Bharat Express (22436) knows by 20:00 the night before whether a waitlisted ticket confirmed, while a passenger on the afternoon train 22416 finds out at 05:00 on the day of travel.
Edge cases at the boundaries
- Exactly 14:00: the Gandhinagar–Mumbai Vande Bharat 20902 leaves Gandhinagar Capital (GNC) at 14:00, inside the 05:01 to 14:00 band, so its chart is due by 20:00 the evening before.
- Exactly 05:00: the Chennai Egmore–Nagercoil Vande Bharat 20627 leaves Chennai Egmore (MS) at 05:00, which falls in the 14:01 to 05:00 band. Its chart is due 10 hours earlier, at 19:00 the evening before, one hour earlier than a train leaving at 05:15 such as 20671 from Madurai (MDU).
- Overnight Sleeper trains: all three Vande Bharat Sleeper trains leave in the evening, so their charts are made on the morning or midday of the departure day. Some news reports say Sleeper charts are made 8 hours before departure; we have not seen an official order, so the tool uses the general rule.
What happens when the chart is prepared
- Confirmed tickets show the coach and seat on the PNR. Vande Bharat Chair Car coaches are numbered C1, C2 and so on for CC, and E1, E2 for EC.
- Waitlisted e-tickets that did not confirm are cancelled automatically and refunded, less ₹60 clerkage per passenger. You cannot board with them.
- No RAC on Chair Car. CC and EC have seats, not berths, so there is no RAC stage on Vande Bharat Chair Car trains, and the Vande Bharat Sleeper sells confirmed tickets only.
- Cancellation closes for confirmed e-tickets. IRCTC's published rules do not allow a confirmed e-ticket to be cancelled in the normal way after the chart, so cancel before it.
- Vacant seats go on sale as current booking. Southern Railway allows en-route booking on its Vande Bharat trains up to 15 minutes before departure.
How to check if your Vande Bharat chart is prepared
Open your PNR on IRCTC (Booked Ticket History) or the Indian Railways PNR enquiry. The charting line reads "Chart not prepared" until the first chart and "Chart prepared" afterwards. The booking status and current status columns then show whether each passenger is confirmed. On the day, check live running status and platform on NTES.
Why the chart time matters on a Vande Bharat Express
On a busy Vande Bharat Express the chart is the deadline for almost everything: a waitlisted ticket either confirms or is cancelled, a confirmed e-ticket can no longer be cancelled in the normal way, and the coach and seat become visible. On morning Vande Bharat trains the chart comes the evening before, so plan any change of plans before 20:00. On afternoon Vande Bharat trains it comes early on the travel day.
Vande Bharat chart preparation FAQs
What is the Vande Bharat chart preparation time?
For Vande Bharat trains leaving their first station between 05:01 and 14:00, the first chart is made by 20:00 the evening before. For trains leaving at other times, it is made 10 hours before departure.
At what time is the chart prepared for 22436 Vande Bharat Express?
22436 leaves New Delhi at 06:00, so its chart is prepared by 20:00 the evening before travel.
When is the final chart made?
At least 30 minutes before the train leaves its first station.
Will my Vande Bharat waiting list ticket be confirmed?
You will know at the first chart. If it is still waitlisted then, the e-ticket is cancelled and refunded, less ₹60 per passenger.
Can I cancel a Vande Bharat ticket after the chart is prepared?
Not in the normal way for a confirmed e-ticket, according to IRCTC's published rules. Cancel before the chart. See the cancellation deadline tool.
When is the chart prepared for the Vande Bharat Sleeper?
Under the general rule, 10 hours before departure, because all three Vande Bharat Sleeper trains leave in the evening. For 27422 leaving New Delhi at 21:40, that is 11:40 on the day.
How do I see the Vande Bharat chart?
Check your PNR status. Once it shows "Chart prepared", your coach and seat appear against each confirmed passenger.
Related tools and guides
Vande Bharat waiting list and chart rules · PNR and running status guide · Refund calculator · Vande Bharat train time table
Sources: Railway Board circular on chart timing in force from 30 December 2025; Ministry of Railways statement of 24 March 2026 (PIB); IRCTC refund rules on clerkage and post-chart cancellation; Railway Board Commercial Circular 03/2026 for Vande Bharat Sleeper ticket rules; Southern Railway on en-route booking. Timetables checked 11 November 2026.