Passengers will no longer be required to run behind a TTE to avail a vacant berth on trains. They can now do it online through the IRCTC website even after preparation of the final chart and departure of the train from its originating station.

The new facility, which was formally launched by Union railway minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday, will enable passengers to see the real time availability of berths and book them online.

“The move is aimed at enhancing travel experience and ensuring greater transparency,” said Sanjay Ghosh, chief public relations officer of SER.

Ghosh said the facility was available in all mail and express trains running across the four divisions of SER zone, including Ranchi and Chakradharpur. Passengers of premier trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express will also benefit from it.

According to Ghosh, the new interface will provide a graphical representation of the coaches and berth-wise accommodation status on the IRCTC website. In the seating layout, different colours will be used to show booked and vacant seats.

The layout will also help users locate the exact position of the berth allocated to him during PNR enquiry.

The information about berth availability will keep getting updated as the train proceeds towards its destination.

“We welcome the new initiative of information about occupancy in trains through the IRCTC website. Numerous passengers will be benefited,” general secretary of Chhotanagpur Passenger Association Arun Tiwary said.

Chakradharpur railway division spokesperson Bhaskar said the new feature would make the reservation process corruption-free.