New Delhi, June 30, 2025 — In a major relief for train passengers across the country, Indian Railways has announced that the reservation chart for long-distance trains will now be prepared eight hours prior to departure, effective July 1, 2025. This is a significant shift from the current practice of finalizing charts only four hours before departure.
More Time, Less Uncertainty for Passengers
According to the official statement, this change is aimed at reducing uncertainty for waitlisted passengers, especially those traveling from remote areas or suburbs to major railway junctions. “This move will give passengers a clearer picture of their booking status and allow them to make alternate travel arrangements if necessary,” the Railway Board noted.
The statement added that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed and approved the proposal, instructing that the implementation begin in phases to avoid disruptions in operations.
“Wherever passengers are coming from a nearby area to catch the train, this uncertainty can cause serious problems. To remove this uncertainty, the railway board has proposed preparing the reservation chart eight hours before the departure,” read the ministry’s statement.
Key Benefits of the New Charting Timeline
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Earlier confirmation or cancellation of waitlisted tickets
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Better planning window for passengers to book alternate modes of transport
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Improved experience for those traveling from distant or semi-urban regions
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Reduced congestion at stations caused by last-minute rushes
Massive Upgrade to the Passenger Reservation System (PRS)
In another major development, Indian Railways has confirmed that a modernized Passenger Reservation System will be launched by December 2025. The upgraded PRS, being developed by the Centre For Railway Information Systems (CRIS), will offer:
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Five-fold increase in booking speed: from 32,000 to 1.5 lakh tickets per minute
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Tenfold jump in enquiry capacity: from 4 lakh to over 40 lakh per minute
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Multilingual, user-friendly interface for easier access
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Integrated features for Divyangjan (differently-abled), students, and patients
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Seat selection and fare calendar options
This upgrade aims to eliminate delays and crashes often experienced during peak booking hours.
New Tatkal Ticket Booking Rules from July
In a related move to curb misuse, the Railways has also tightened the Tatkal ticket booking process:
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From July 1, only authenticated users will be allowed to book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website and mobile app.
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From end of July, all Tatkal bookings will require OTP-based authentication through Aadhaar or any other government ID verified via DigiLocker.
