Indian Railways Updates Ticket Booking Policy
Starting November 1, 2024, Indian Railways will reduce the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) from 120 days to 60 days, excluding the travel date. This change aims to help genuine passengers book tickets more easily and reduce cancellations and no-shows. The Ministry of Railways noted that 21% of bookings made between 61 to 120 days were cancelled, and 5% of passengers did not travel or cancel, leading to wasted seats.
The new policy will assist in better planning of special trains during peak seasons and improve ticket availability. Certain express trains like the Taj Express and Gomti Express will maintain shorter reservation periods, and the 365-day ARP for foreign tourists remains unchanged. Bookings made before October 31, 2024, under the 120-day ARP will still be valid, and cancellations will be allowed for reservations beyond the new 60-day ARP.
Historically, the ARP was as short as 30 days between 1995 and 1998. The last change to 120 days was in 2015. The updated policy aims to reduce ticket hoarding and improve travel planning for passengers. Indian Railways encourages passengers to book early within the new ARP for a smoother travel experience.
Doubts Revealed
Indian Railways -: Indian Railways is the national railway system of India, which operates trains across the country to transport people and goods.
Ticket Booking Period -: The ticket booking period is the time frame in which you can book train tickets in advance before the date of travel.
Advance Reservation Period (ARP) -: Advance Reservation Period (ARP) is the number of days before the travel date when you can start booking train tickets. It is being changed from 120 days to 60 days.
60 Days -: 60 days means you can book your train tickets up to 60 days before your travel date, starting from November 1, 2024.
120 Days -: 120 days was the previous period during which you could book train tickets in advance, but it will change to 60 days from November 2024.
365-day ARP for foreign tourists -: This means that foreign tourists can book train tickets up to 365 days in advance, which is different from the 60-day period for regular passengers.
No-shows -: No-shows are when people book tickets but do not show up for the train, which can lead to empty seats that could have been used by others.
Ticket hoarding -: Ticket hoarding is when people buy a lot of tickets in advance, sometimes to sell them later at a higher price, which can make it hard for genuine passengers to get tickets.
