New Delhi: The Indian Railways has announced a reduction in the time frame for booking advance train tickets, according to media reports. Passengers will now be able to book their tickets only 60 days in advance, down from the earlier 120-day booking window. This change is exclusive of the day of departure, offering travelers a shorter window to plan their journeys.New rule effective from November 1, 2024The updated rule, set to take effect on November 1, 2024, will not affect passengers who have already made their reservations. All existing bookings for trains scheduled after November 1 remain valid, ensuring no disruption for those with prior arrangements. Notably, this reduction in the booking window does not apply to certain day-time express trains, where a shorter reservation period is already in place. Additionally, there will be no change in the 365-day advance booking option available for foreign tourists, maintaining the same flexibility for international visitors.Railways serve crores of passengers annuallyIndian Railways sees around 30-35 crore passengers traveling annually. This change is expected to streamline operations and align the ticketing process for the convenience of domestic passengers, offering a more structured booking system while retaining key exceptions for specific services and foreign tourists.Indian Railways bold move!This caused a considerable waste of seats and led to fraudulent practices like ticket impersonation and unauthorized money exchanges. The new 60-day period is expected to minimize such issues, ensuring that genuine passengers are more likely to secure tickets while reducing the chance of malpractices. Furthermore, shorter reservation windows provide better visibility into demand, allowing the railways to plan special trains in advance with greater efficiency.With the reduction in cancellations and no-shows, seat management will become more streamlined, resulting in fewer wasted berths. Additionally, passengers who need general-class tickets remain unaffected, as those tickets are usually purchased right before the journey. The 60-day advance booking period, which has varied over the years, has been identified as the optimal timeframe based on past experience, ensuring smoother operations for the railways and passengers alike.
