Indian Railways ticket reservation Rule to change from Tomorrow; All you need to know

From October 10 onwards, railway seats will be available even five minutes before the train leaves the station, as the Indian Railways has decided to restore the pre-covid system of preparing the second reservation chart half an hour before the departure time.

Indian Railways in a bid to provide relief to the passengers has decided to prepare the second reservation charts 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of trains from stations starting from tomorrow.

Earlier the system was modified to two hours in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic for the last few months.

ALSO READ: Hathras Case: ‘Oppression of Dalits rising under BJP rule’; Mayawati hits out at BJP Govt

Regular passenger train services remain suspended in wake of the pandemic. But the Indian Railways in a staggered manner is restoring the pre-Covid practices and is also running special trains.

Here's all you need to know:

1. The second reservation charts will be prepared 30 minutes before the schedule departure of trains from stations. This was normal before Covid. But when the Indian Railways started special passenger trains amid the pandemic, the second reservation chart was being prepared two hours before the schedule departure.

2. Train tickets can be booked until second reservation chart is prepared. As from tomorrow, these charts will be prepared between 30 minutes to 5 minutes before the scheduled departure, tickets can be booked during this time.

3. The first chart is prepared at least four hours before the scheduled departure of the train. If seats become vacant owing to cancellation, they can be booked through PRS counters and online till the preparation of the second chart.

4. Tickets can also be cancelled during this time, as per the provisions of the refund rules.

5. The timings were changed during the pandemic as initially tickets were only available online. The Railways was avoiding crowding at the stations and the aim was to discourage people from travelling unless absolutely necessary.

6. In the last few months, the situation has changed. The Centre has been focussing more on reopening instead of locking down. The Railways has started several new trains as well. With the festive season coming, the Railways has already announced 39 pairs of new special trains. It has not yet announced a date for these special trains but they will be operational between October 15 and November 30.

Coronavirus:

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, instructions were issued to shift the time of preparation of the second reservation chart to two hours before scheduled/ rescheduled time of train departure.

“As per request of Zonal Railways for ensuring convenience of rail passengers, the matter has been examined and it has been decided that the second reservation chart shall be prepared at least 30 minutes before scheduled/rescheduled time of departure of train," the statement said.

"Accordingly, ticket booking facility, both online and on PRS ticket counters, shall be available, before preparation of second chart. CRIS will make necessary modifications in the software accordingly so as to restore this provision with effect from October 10," it said.

ALSO READ: Laxmmi Bomb trailer is out! Get Ready for a Horror-Comedy Ride

The Railways had suspended all passenger trains services due to the imposition of the nationwide lockdown from March 25. However, it resumed services in a staggered manner beginning with Shramik Special trains to help stranded migrant workers reach their home states from May 1.

ALSO READ: UP CM Adityanath inaugurates state’s Biggest oxygen plant

Stay tuned with the newstrack to get fastest updates. Click @englishnewstrack to follow us on Facebook and @newstrackmedia to follow on twitter.