Minister Vaishnaw has been reviewing the progress of these reforms closely, reiterating during every meeting that the ticketing system should be smart, transparent, accessible, and efficient.“Currently, the reservation chart is prepared four hours before the departure of the train. This creates uncertainty in the minds of passengers. Wherever passengers are coming from a nearby area to catch the train, this uncertainty can cause serious problems,” remarked the railway official.Further elaborating, the official added, “To end on waitlisted tickets and their expected confirmations of berths, the Railway board has proposed preparing the reservation chart eight hours before the departure. The Railway Minister has agreed with the proposal and directed the Board to start implementing it in phases so that there is no disruption.”To further enhance berth availability, Indian Railways has also introduced a policy — capping the number of waitlisted tickets to a maximum of 25 per cent of total berths in each class.“And, the latest decision to prepare chart 8 hours before the train departure will reduce uncertainties for passengers with waitlist tickets to a great extent,” he added.With the new system in place, passengers will receive the first update on their waitlist status well in advance.“The most important benefit of the early chart release system will be to the passengers travelling from remote locations or suburbs of major cities to catch long-distance trains. It will also provide more time to make alternative arrangements in case the wait list is not confirmed,” a senior railway official added.
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