Indian Railways Trials Waiting List Charts A Day Before Departure; Here’s What It Means For Passengers

Indian Railways has now begun a trial with a new rule. It will not prepare the waiting list chart for reserved train tickets just hours before departure anymore. Instead, the list will be made a day before. This will make it easier for travellers to prepare alternative travel plans.

Indian Railways To Release Waiting List A Day Before Departure 

As per a report by Hindustan Times, Indian Railways has started a trial where the waiting list for reserved tickets will be prepared a day before the train’s departure. This will help passengers get more clarity. They can make alternative travel plans if their ticket is not confirmed. Until now, the list was confirmed only hours before the train left, which left passengers with very little time to make other plans. An official from Indian Railways has also confirmed this. He said the trial began on June 6 in the Bikaner division. He added that the results have been positive and Indian Railways might soon expand this rule to other regions, especially on routes which see long waiting lists.

Also Read: Tatkal Ticket Bookings Now Require Aadhaar Linking To Curb Fraud, Says Indian Railways

Idea Proposed During PM’s Visit To Bikaner

According to HT, this new idea came up during the Prime Minister and Railway Minister’s visit to Bikaner on May 21. Locals there suggested the idea and its benefits to the PM. After which, the proposal was quickly approved and implemented. A railway official said the rule may be helpful for passengers. It gives them more time to plan if their tickets are not confirmed. However, he also mentioned that the new rule will not change anything for Tatkal or other types of tickets. Moreover, the Railways may also add clone trains if they see a heavy waiting list. These clone trains are deployed when the list has a lot of passengers on the waiting list. 

Also Read: Indian Railways To Operate 3 Special Trains From Jammu And Udhampur To Delhi; Here’s All About It

This move may change the way passengers travel by train. If tickets don’t get confirmed, people will know in advance. It will save them time and a lot of stress. An official also said this step could reduce last-minute cancellations, which are quite common now.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/ Abhinav Phangcho Choudhury