Indian Railways revises ticket booking rules
In a major policy shift, Indian Railways has reduced its advance reservation period (ARP) for train tickets from the previous 120 days to 60 days. The change, which took effect on November 1, aims to make the booking process more efficient by reducing the high rates of cancellations and no-shows often seen with extended advance bookings. This decision arrives just as the winter travel season and end-of-year festivities are set to increase demand for train travel across India.
The main reason behind this new policy is to curb the growing trend of passengers booking tickets far in advance without certain travel plans. As per reports, approximately 21% of reservations made between 61 and 120 days before the journey date usually gets. Add to that, about 5% of travellers neither cancel their tickets nor actually travel. This trend is also referred to as “no-shows.”
With this revised ARP, Indian Railways hopes to make more tickets available for genuine travellers with confirmed plans.
From now on, passengers looking to book train tickets will be limited to a 60-day advance booking window. Earlier, one could book four months or 120 days in advance. For those who have already purchased tickets more than 60 days in advance, their tickets will not be affected by this rule change. Their tickets will remain valid for their scheduled journeys. Also, the 365-day ARP limit for foreign tourists will also stay in place, allowing them to plan for long-term travel within India.
