VINOD BHAT
New Delhi, June 29: Indian Railways is all set to modernise its Passenger Reservation System (PRS) in a major push to improve efficiency, transparency, and passenger convenience. A series of upgrades is being rolled out, including faster chart preparation, a high-capacity ticket booking system, and OTP-based authentication for Tatkal tickets. The measures, overseen by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, reflect the government’s focus on making the ticketing experience smarter, accessible, and citizen-centric.
Currently, reservation charts are prepared four hours before the departure of a train, which often creates uncertainty, especially for passengers travelling from nearby locations. To address this, the Railway Board has proposed preparing the reservation chart eight hours prior to departure. For trains leaving before 2:00 PM, the chart will now be generated at 9:00 PM the previous night. This change is aimed at giving waitlisted passengers a clearer picture of their travel status well in advance, helping them make alternative plans if necessary. The Railway Minister has approved this proposal and directed that its implementation be phased in carefully to avoid disruptions.
In a parallel move, the Railways is working on a full-scale upgrade of its Passenger Reservation System, which is expected to be completed by December 2025. The revamped system, developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), is designed to be agile, flexible, and scalable to handle ten times the current load. It will be capable of processing over 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute, compared to the present capacity of 32,000. Ticket enquiry capacity will also increase tenfold—from 4 lakh to more than 40 lakh queries per minute.
The new PRS will offer a multilingual and user-friendly interface for booking and enquiries. Passengers will be able to choose their seats and view fare calendars with ease. The system will also include special provisions for Divyangjan, students, and patients, making it more inclusive and accessible.
To ensure fair access to Tatkal tickets, Indian Railways will introduce mandatory user authentication for Tatkal bookings on the IRCTC website and mobile app starting July 1, 2025. By the end of July, OTP-based authentication using Aadhaar or any government-approved ID stored in the DigiLocker will be required to complete Tatkal reservations. The Railway Minister has instructed officials to spread awareness about the new process and ensure it is implemented effectively.
These reforms mark a significant step toward transforming railway travel in the country, ensuring a more reliable, transparent, and comfortable journey for passengers across the board.
