Indian Railways’ wait-listed passengers may soon be able to know the final status of their train ticket much earlier. Currently, Indian Railways releases the final chart for a train journey four hours ahead of scheduled departure. This adds to the uncertainty for waitlisted passengers on whether they will be able to undertake the journey or not.A new experimental initiative has started by Indian Railways where passengers on the waiting list receive confirmation of their travel status 24 hours prior to the train departure, replacing the existing 4-hour notification system.
Indian Railways Train Charts 24 Hours Before Departure
“We have started this pilot project in the Bikaner Division, where charts are being prepared 24 hours before the train departure. The current practice is doing so before 4 hours,” Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board, said.He emphasised that the trial addressed the concerns of passengers who face uncertainty whilst travelling with waiting tickets. “Now, if they know 24 hours before that their tickets are confirmed, they can plan their travel better,” he added.Indian Railways reservation charts are prepared in two stages. The first chart was generated four hours before the train’s scheduled departure, whilst the final chart was completed approximately 30 minutes before departure.Also Read | New Tatkal ticket booking rules 2025: Indian Railways announces compulsory Aadhaar authentication from July 1; what it means for passengersRailway officials have said that this pilot scheme would be incorporated into official policy only after receiving favourable feedback from travellers.The revised system is designed to enhance journey planning for passengers, particularly benefiting those travelling from distances exceeding 100 km by providing additional time to reach their boarding stations without last-minute uncertainties.The new regulations will not affect passengers seeking Tatkal tickets for immediate travel. “Since Tatkal tickets are booked 48 hours before the scheduled departure of trains, bringing out the full chart a day before won’t be an issue,” a railway official said.The railways have not yet confirmed whether they will issue second and third passenger lists for confirmed reservations, considering potential cancellations within the final 24 hours. “Let the pilot run be over and then decisions will be taken keeping in mind the best interest of passengers,” a source told TOI.
