No More Last-Minute Uncertainty: Railways to Issue Charts 8 Hours Ahead of Train Departure

Dipanjan Mondal

New Delhi, 30 June, 2025:

In a big move to make travel easier and improve operations, Indian Railways plans to update its ticketing and reservation systems. The Ministry of Railways, led by Ashwini Vaishnaw, has announced several reforms. 

Indian Railways is moving ahead with key changes that include shortening the time for preparing reservation charts, creating a modern Passenger Reservation System (PRS), and tightening security for all Tatkal bookings. An official note explains that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently reviewed the progress of these three major projects.

"He (Ashwini Vaishnaw) stressed that the ticketing system should be smart, clear, easy to access, and effective. Planning should prioritize passenger comfort. The system must ensure a smooth and pleasant travel experience for our passengers," said the Railway Ministry in the official press release.

One major reform is the change in how reservation charts are prepared. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has approved the plan and instructed a gradual rollout to ensure a smooth transition. Currently, reservation charts are made four hours before a train departs, which can lead to confusion for passengers traveling from distant or nearby areas. To address this, the new system will prepare charts eight hours before departure, providing greater clarity and convenience for travelers.

For trains leaving before 2:00 PM, the chart will be ready by 9:00 PM the day before. The implementation will be phased to prevent operational issues. This change is expected to give passengers on the waiting list earlier information, allowing them to make alternative plans if necessary.

"It will help passengers traveling from remote areas or suburbs of major cities catch long-distance trains. It will also give them more time to make other arrangements if their waitlist ticket is not confirmed," the ministry noted.

Indian Railways is also working on upgrading its Passenger Reservation System (PRS) to a more modern, flexible platform. The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) is handling the project, which is set to be completed by December 2025.

“The new upgraded PRS design can handle ten times the current load. It will significantly increase ticket booking capacity, allowing over 150,000 ticket bookings per minute. This is about a fivefold increase from the current PRS’s capacity of 32,000 tickets per minute,” the statement noted.

“The ticket inquiry capacity will increase tenfold, from 400,000 to over 4 million inquiries per minute. The new PRS will also feature a multilingual and user-friendly booking and inquiry interface,” it added.

The new PRS will include a user-friendly, multilingual interface and improved features such as seat selection and a fare calendar. It will also incorporate dedicated services for Divyangjan, students, and patients to ensure everyone can access it.

Starting July 1, 2025, only verified users will be allowed to book Tatkal train tickets through the IRCTC website and mobile app, as part of Indian Railways' broader reform agenda. 

To improve security and transparency, an OTP-based authentication system will be introduced for Tatkal bookings by the end of July 2025. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has instructed officials to strengthen the authentication process for these time-sensitive reservations.

“The authentication should be done using Aadhaar or any verifiable Government ID in the user’s DigiLocker account,” said the Railway Minister, aiming to make the systems more traveller-friendly.

Additionally, efforts are underway to prevent the misuse of the Tatkal quota by touts and ensure fair access for genuine passengers. Advanced algorithms and monitoring tools will be used to identify suspicious activity and block bulk or automated bookings. These measures are expected to create a more secure, fair, and user-focused ticketing experience.