In a major move aimed at enhancing passenger convenience and system efficiency, Indian Railways is set to revamp its ticketing and reservation processes. The Railway Ministry, under Ashwini Vaishnaw, has announced multiple reforms that include early chart preparation, upgraded reservation systems, and tighter authentication for Tatkal bookings.
Chart preparation to be advanced by 4 hours
Currently, reservation charts are prepared four hours before a train’s departure. This creates uncertainty, especially for passengers travelling from nearby or distant locations to board trains. To address this issue, the Railways will now prepare the reservation chart eight hours before departure.
For trains departing before 1400 hours, the chart will be ready by 9:00 pm on the previous day. The implementation will be phased to avoid operational disruptions. This change is expected to give waitlisted passengers earlier clarity, helping them make alternate arrangements if required.
Passenger Reservation System gets major upgrade
The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) is leading a significant upgrade of the Passenger Reservation System.
Key improvements include-
- Booking capacity to increase fivefold: From 32,000 to 1.5 lakh tickets per minute.
- Enquiry load to increase tenfold: From 4 lakh to over 40 lakh queries per minute.
- A new multilingual and user-friendly interface.
- Enhanced features like seat preference selection, fare calendar, and dedicated services for Divyangjan, students, and patients.
Tatkal bookings to require verified user authentication
- Beginning July 1, 2025, only authenticated users will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets via the IRCTC website and mobile app.
- By the end of July 2025, OTP-based authentication will be mandatory for all Tatkal bookings.
- Users will need to authenticate using Aadhaar or another valid government ID stored in DigiLocker.
Railway Minister Vaishnaw has directed officials to broaden the authentication options while ensuring user convenience.
A step towards smarter, transparent rail travel
These reforms reflect Indian Railways' push to modernise its infrastructure and passenger services. The emphasis is on making systems smarter, faster, more transparent, and inclusive, ensuring a smoother and more predictable travel experience for millions.