Gurugram, 2nd June 2025: Reserved train tickets in India open for booking 60 days ahead of departure. However, most travellers only finalise their plans much closer to the date. MakeMyTrip’s data shows that nearly 40% of users book train tickets across multiple sessions, often over several days. Among these users, close to 70% end up booking waitlisted tickets, simply because confirmed seats are no longer available by the time their plans firm up.
With demand patterns varying significantly from week to week, the window for confirmed bookings keeps shifting. In April, most high-speed trains were sold out around 13 days before the departure date. By May, due to rising demand, they were typically booked out more than 20 days before departure. For travellers, this means that even when they know which train they want, they often don’t have a reliable sense of how long seats will remain available, making timely planning harder.
To help rail travellers plan better, MakeMyTrip has launched Seat Availability Forecast, a new feature that provides a predictive view of when seats on a selected train are likely to sell out. Built using advanced models that combine years of historical booking data with real-time demand signals, the feature enables travellers to plan and book with greater clarity. It is now live on both the MakeMyTrip app and website, embedded within the train booking flow.
“We are focussed on our mission to anticipate and address the nuanced needs of Indian rail passengers. Seat Availability Forecast is a result of that effort, rooted in data science, built to be seamless, and designed to solve a real planning challenge for millions of users. It is a strong addition to our rail stack which helps make train travel more predictable and less stressful across the board.” said Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip.
For travellers who are not ready to book immediately, MakeMyTrip has also introduced Sold-out Alerts, a feature that prompts timely action as seat availability begins to drop. Once activated, it notifies users when tickets on their selected train fall below a defined threshold, allowing them to book before confirmed seats run out. Paired with the Seat Availability Forecast, it adds another layer of visibility and control to the planning experience.
