Indian Railways Unveils Three Major Initiatives for Train Services
In a significant move to enhance passenger experience, Indian Railways is set to introduce three major changes to its ticketing system. These updates aim to streamline the booking process, improve waitlist management, and upgrade the overall passenger reservation system. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized the need for a user-friendly and efficient ticketing experience, ensuring that travelers enjoy a seamless journey.
Advance Chart Preparation for Enhanced Clarity
Currently, Indian Railways prepares reservation charts just four hours before a train’s departure, which can create uncertainty for passengers, especially those traveling from nearby locations. To address this issue, the Railways plans to prepare reservation charts eight hours prior to departure. For trains scheduled to leave before 2 PM, the charts will be finalized by 9 PM the previous day. This change, endorsed by the Railway Minister, aims to provide clarity to passengers with waitlisted tickets, allowing them to receive updates about their status earlier. This adjustment will particularly benefit travelers from distant areas or city outskirts, giving them ample time to make alternative travel arrangements if their waitlisted tickets are not confirmed.
Verification Requirement for Tatkal Ticket Booking
Starting July 1, 2025, Indian Railways will implement a new policy requiring only verified users to book Tatkal tickets through the IRCTC website and mobile application. This initiative aims to enhance security and streamline the booking process. Additionally, an OTP-based authentication system for Tatkal bookings will be introduced by the end of July. Users will need to verify their identity using Aadhaar or other valid government identification documents stored in their DigiLocker accounts. Initially, the requirement was limited to Aadhaar-authenticated users, but it has now been expanded to include documents stored in DigiLocker, ensuring a broader verification process for all Tatkal ticket bookings.
Modernization of the Passenger Reservation System
The Indian Railways is also set to unveil a new Passenger Reservation System (PRS) by December 2025. This upgrade, currently being implemented by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), will significantly enhance the ticket booking infrastructure. The new system will be capable of handling ten times the current volume, allowing for over 150,000 ticket reservations per minute, a substantial increase from the existing capacity of 32,000 tickets per minute. Furthermore, the system’s enquiry processing ability will expand from 400,000 to over 4 million enquiries per minute. The upgraded PRS will feature a user-friendly interface that supports multiple languages for bookings and inquiries. It will also allow users to specify seating preferences and view fare calendars, while incorporating dedicated facilities for Divyangjan, students, patients, and other specific categories, ensuring a more inclusive travel experience for all passengers.
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