Indian Railways has revised its advance reservation policies. Under the new regulations, tickets can now be booked only 60 days in advance, a reduction from the previous limit of 120 days, or four months. The Indian Railways has stated that this change will be advantageous for both the railway system and its passengers. We will provide further details regarding the updated rules.
Advance reservation policies
The advance reservation policies have undergone multiple revisions by Indian Railways, often made in consideration of passenger convenience and operational efficiency. The accompanying image illustrates the timeline of these changes in advance reservation rules.
Why change in rule?
The Ministry of Railways noted that a significant number of passengers tend to book tickets well in advance, only to cancel them later. Additionally, there are instances of fraudulent ticket blocking. These two primary issues have prompted the revision of the advance booking rule.
Data from the railways indicates that approximately 21 percent of tickets are canceled, and 4 to 5 percent of passengers do not utilize their booked tickets. Consequently, this results in eligible passengers being unable to secure seats. The railways has disseminated the new guidelines to all stations and ticket counters. It has been clarified that passengers who have already booked tickets 120 days in advance will not be impacted by this change and can travel as planned. This new rule is effective from November 1, while the previous 120-day advance booking period remains valid until October 31.
Taj Express
It is important to note that the ticket booking regulations for the “Taj Express” and “Gomti Express” trains remain unchanged, as per the notification issued by Indian Railways.