Now the railway system will automatically track the number of waitlisted tickets for each train, and new bookings will not be accepted if the 25% limit is exceeded. This will increase transparency on the booking platform.

Indian Railways has taken an important decision for the convenience of passengers and to control overcrowding in trains. The Railway Ministry has announced that now the number of waitlisted tickets in any train will be limited to 25% of the total capacity of the train. The aim of this new rule is to provide a better travel experience to the passengers and reduce the problem of overbooking.

According to the Times of India report, now the railways will issue a maximum of 25% of the total berths/seats in AC First Class, AC Second, AC Third, Sleeper and Chair Car of every train as waiting tickets. This change has been made keeping in mind various quotas, such as seats reserved for Divyangjan, senior citizens, and women. The unnecessary crowd will also be reduced in trains.

According to railway officials, data shows that about 20% to 25% of waiting tickets get confirmed by the time the chart is prepared. On this basis, the new limit has been fixed so that passengers can get more clarity about the status of the ticket. After the circular issued by the Railway Board, various zonal railways across the country have started implementing this new system.

According to the railways, this rule will apply to all categories of trains, such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Mail/Express and Superfast trains. For example, if a train has 1,000 seats available, then only a maximum of 250 waitlist tickets will be issued. This move will not only increase the chances of passengers getting their journey confirmed, but it will also reduce unnecessary crowding in trains.

What was the waiting limit till now?

According to the January 2013 circular, earlier a maximum of 30 waiting tickets could be issued in AC First Class, 100 in AC Second, 300 in AC Third and 400 in Sleeper Class. Due to this, passengers often worried about getting their tickets confirmed till the last moment.

A senior railway official said, “Due to the high number of waiting tickets, passengers without confirmed tickets also boarded the reserved coaches, causing heavy crowding and chaos in the coaches. The new policy will help prevent this mess.”

Zonal Railways get an exemption.

According to a Railway Ministry official, each Zonal Railway has been given the authority to decide the limit of waiting tickets, given the booking and cancellation pattern in trains of its zone. This will also provide flexibility according to the nature of trains and the demand of passengers. This new system will not only save passengers from confusion, but will also help in reducing unauthorised crowds in trains. This will make the boarding process more systematic. Passengers travelling in reserved coaches will get a better experience.