Sun Jun 29 16:26:06 UTC 2025: **Here’s a summary of the text:**
The Indian Railways is set to overhaul its reservation system, aiming for a more passenger-centric, efficient, and transparent experience. Key changes include:
* Preparing reservation charts 8 hours before departure (except for trains departing before 2 PM, where the chart will be prepared the previous night at 9 PM).
* Upgrading the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) with a modern design by December 2025, increasing ticket booking capacity to 1.5 lakh tickets per minute and enquiry capacity to 40 lakh per minute.
* Introducing stricter authentication for Tatkal bookings starting July 1, 2025, including OTP-based authentication by the end of July 2025 and exploring the use of Aadhaar or other verifiable Government IDs through DigiLocker.
**Here’s the news article rewrite:**
**Indian Railways to Revolutionize Ticketing with New Reservation Chart Timing and System Upgrade**
**New Delhi, June 29, 2025** – The Indian Railways is poised to significantly improve the passenger experience with a series of sweeping changes to its reservation system. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed the Railway Board to implement a new policy for preparing reservation charts, extending the preparation time to eight hours before departure. This change, expected to be rolled out in phases, aims to reduce uncertainty for waitlisted passengers, providing them with more time to make alternative arrangements if needed. However, for trains departing before 2 PM, the chart will be prepared at 9 PM the previous day.
“This move will reduce uncertainties for passengers with waitlist tickets. The passengers will get the first update on waitlist status well in advance,” a Railway Ministry official stated.
In addition to the revised chart timing, a complete overhaul of the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) is underway, slated for completion by December 2025. The upgraded PRS promises a modern, agile, and scalable design capable of handling significantly increased demand. The new system will boost ticket booking capacity to 1.5 lakh tickets per minute, a fivefold increase from the current 32,000, and expand ticket enquiry capacity to over 40 lakh per minute. The system will feature a multilingual, user-friendly interface with integrated facilities for Divyangjan, students, and patients.
To combat fraudulent activity, Indian Railways is also tightening security for Tatkal bookings. Starting July 1, only authenticated users will be able to book Tatkal tickets through the IRCTC website and mobile app. OTP-based authentication will be implemented by the end of July, and officials are exploring using Aadhaar or other verifiable government IDs through DigiLocker to further enhance security.
“The authentication should be done using Aadhaar or any other verifiable Government ID available in the user’s DigiLocker account,” said Mr. Vaishnaw.
These initiatives underscore the Indian Railways’ commitment to providing a smart, transparent, accessible, and efficient ticketing system for its passengers. The comprehensive improvements are expected to modernize the travel experience for millions of rail passengers across the country.
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