Indian Railways has recently implemented a major change, which has brought the news of relief for the train passengers. If you also travel by train and are troubled by the uncertainty of waiting list, then this news is special for you. Railways have now decided to issue waiting tickets only up to 25% of the total seats available in every category of all trains – AC First, AC2, AC3, Sleeper and Chair Car. The purpose of this new rule is to protect the passengers from the uncertainty of ticket confirmation and make the train journey more easy. Let us understand every aspect of this change in detail.
Earlier, the number of waiting list tickets was so high that many passengers climbed into the reserve coach without a confirmed ticket. Due to this, the crowd in trains used to increase, the most brunt of the passengers who had confirmed tickets. Railway officials say that 20-25% waiting tickets are generally confirmed before the journey. But the uncertainty of the remaining tickets was a problem for the passengers, especially during the festive season like Diwali and Chhath. Through this new rule, the Railways has tried to solve this problem. After a circular of the Railway Board, all the zonal railway has started implementing this rule.
Under the earlier rules, the limit of waiting list was quite high. For example, as of January 2013 rules, waiting tickets were issued up to 30 in AC First, 100 in AC2, 300 in AC3 and 400 in sleeper class. Due to this, there was a difference in the number of confirmed tickets and passengers in trains, causing chaos. Now under the new policy, every zonal railway will set the limit of waiting list based on the pattern of booking and cancellation. A senior Western Railway official said that this change will give passengers more transparency and better travel experience.
The ‘available berth’ in the railway means those seats that remain the rest after the allocation of special quota such as senior citizens, women, foreign tourists and disabled travelers. For example, if 400 berths are available for general booking after applying all quota in a train, the waiting list will be released up to a maximum of 100 tickets. This rule will also apply to Tatkal tickets and remote location booking. However, this limit will not be applicable on tickets issued on concessional fares and government warrants.
Railways have started necessary changes in the software of the Center for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) to implement this change. The date for implementing this rule will be announced soon. This step of the railway will be helpful in reducing the troubles of passengers, especially during the peak season. Now passengers will have to face uncertainty after ticket booking, and they will be able to make better plans for their journey.
This new rule is beneficial for passengers in many ways. The biggest advantage is that now the long queues of the waiting list will get rid of. Also, passengers with confirmed tickets will get more convenience due to reduced congestion in trains. It is especially a matter of relief for those who travel in the festive season. This move of the Railways will not only make the journey comfortable, but will also make the booking process more transparent and reliable.
