Indian Railways to overhaul tatkal bookings, implement new chart timings
TO enhance the travel experience of millions of passengers, the Indian Railways has announced a series of reforms aimed at making the entire journey seamless and streamlining ticket bookings, making the process user-friendly and transparent.
The initiatives, which focus on a smarter ticketing system, a revamped reservation charting process, and an upgraded Passenger Reservation System (PRS) that will enhance efficiency and accessibility for travellers.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently reviewed the progress of these reforms highlighting the need for a system that is "smart, transparent, accessible, and efficient." He said, "Planning should focus on passenger convenience. The system must ensure a smooth and comfortable travel experience to our passengers."
Reservation charting to begin earlier for greater certainty
This is a key reform in the advancement of the reservation chart preparation process. Currently, charts are generated four hours before train departure, leading to uncertainty for passengers, particularly those travelling from nearby or remote areas.
To address this, the Railway Board has proposed that charts be prepared eight hours prior to departure. For trains scheduled to depart before 2 pm, charting will be done by 9 pm, the previous day. Vaishnaw approved this change and instructed the board to implement it in phases to avoid disruptions.
This adjustment will allow passengers on waiting lists to receive updates sooner, giving them more time to make alternate travel plans if required. It is beneficial for those travelling from suburban or rural locations, helping them avoid last-minute inconveniences.
Moreover, the new PRS system will handle a tenfold increase in load. This is the second major upgrade in the development of a modern Passenger Reservation System, which is currently being executed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). It is expected to be fully operational by December 2025. The upgraded PRS is designed to be agile, scalable, and capable of handling a significantly higher load.
The new system will support over 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute, which is nearly five times the current capacity of 32,000. Enquiry capacity will also rise dramatically, from 4 lakh to over 40 lakh enquiries per minute.
The revamped PRS will feature a multilingual and user-friendly interface, allowing passengers to select preferred seats and access a fare calendar. The system will integrate special provisions for Divyangjan (persons with disabilities), students, and patients.
Starting from July 1, Indian Railways will enforce stricter authentication for Tatkal ticket bookings on the IRCTC website and mobile app. From the end of July, one-time password (OTP) based authentication will be implemented.
Minister Vaishnaw has directed officials to broaden the authentication framework. Users booking Tatkal tickets will need to verify their identity using Aadhaar or any other government-issued ID linked to their DigiLocker account.
