New charting rules, upgraded PRS, and stricter Tatkal booking norms set to enhance travel experience
In a major step towards enhancing passenger convenience and modernising travel, Indian Railways is undertaking a series of reforms aimed at making ticket booking more efficient, transparent, and passenger-friendly. Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw recently reviewed the progress of these ongoing reforms and emphasized the importance of a smart, accessible, and reliable ticketing experience.
Advance Charting for Reduced Uncertainty
To ease the travel planning process, Indian Railways has decided to advance the timing for reservation chart preparation. At present, charts are generated four hours before train departure, often leaving passengers uncertain about their seat confirmations—especially those on waitlists.
Under the new rule, reservation charts for trains departing before 2:00 PM will be prepared the previous evening at 9:00 PM. This early charting system will be rolled out in phases to ensure a smooth transition without service disruption. The move aims to help passengers—especially those travelling from suburban or remote areas—get early clarity on their ticket status and allow sufficient time to make alternate arrangements if needed.
Next-Gen Passenger Reservation System (PRS) by December 2025
The Railway Minister also reviewed the upgradation of the Passenger Reservation System (PRS), being developed by CRIS. The new PRS is designed to be more robust, scalable, and user-friendly. Key features include:
- Capability to process 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute (up from 32,000)
- Handling 40 lakh enquiries per minute, a tenfold increase
- Multilingual interface and simplified booking process
- Enhanced user options like seat preferences and fare calendars
- Integrated support for Divyangjan, students, patients, and other categories
This state-of-the-art system is expected to be fully operational by December 2025, significantly boosting booking capacity and user experience.
Secure and Verified Tatkal Bookings
To combat misuse and ensure fairness, Indian Railways is tightening its Tatkal ticket booking system. From 1st July 2025, only authenticated users will be able to book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website and app. Further, OTP-based verification will be mandatory by the end of July 2025.
The Railways will use Aadhaar and other verified IDs via DigiLocker for authentication, aiming to enhance security and transparency.
A Step Towards Modern, Efficient Rail Travel
These reforms underline Indian Railways’ commitment to creating a more modern, efficient, and citizen-friendly travel system. By making ticketing smarter and more predictable, the ministry hopes to provide passengers with a seamless and stress-free journey—from booking to boarding.
