Railways to prepare reservation charts 8 hours in advance: 5 things to know

Indian Railways will prepare reservation charts 8 hours before departure; the upgraded system can handle 150,000 bookings per minute, up from the current 32,000

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The Ministry of Railways has announced that reservation charts for long-distance trains will now be prepared eight hours before departure, instead of the current four hours. According to the ministry, this move will enable passengers travelling from remote locations to plan their journeys more effectively and will also reduce uncertainties for passengers whose tickets are on the waitlist.

 

Here are 5 key features of the new Passenger Reservation System (PRS):

 

1. Faster ticket booking

The updated Passenger Reservation System will support over 150,000 bookings per minute, a jump from the existing 32,000 tickets per minute. This marks nearly a nearly fivefold increase in booking speed.

 

2. Tatkal bookings restricted to authenticated users

Starting July 1, 2025, only verified users will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets via the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website and mobile app.

 

3. New booking interface

The new PRS will feature a multilingual and user-friendly interface. Passengers will be able to choose their seat preferences and view a fare calendar. The system also offers integrated services for students, patients, and the specially abled.

 

4. OTP-Based verification for Tatkal tickets

From the end of July, Tatkal bookings will require OTP-based authentication. "The authentication should be done using Aadhaar or any other verifiable government ID available in the user's DigiLocker account," the ministry stated.

 

5. Boost to enquiry capacity

The number of ticket enquiries the system can handle will be increased tenfold—from 400,000 to over 4 million per minute. The new PRS will also continue to allow users to select seat preferences and access fare details.

 

The ministry said that the change would benefit passengers travelling from remote areas or the outskirts of major cities to catch long-distance trains. It added that the update would also give passengers more time to make alternative plans if their waitlisted tickets were not confirmed.

 

This announcement comes amid a review meeting on passenger facilities conducted by Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Earlier, the ministry planned to follow a trial model from the Indian Railways’ Bikaner division, where reservation charts were made 24 hours before the train’s departure.