Lok Sabha Question No. 266 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-12
Subject: New Website for Online Booking
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 266 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2018

## NEW WEBSITE FOR ONLINE BOOKING

266.  SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  Railways  has  started  new  ticket confirmation process through website and has decided to withdraw dynamic ticketing system;
- (b) if  so,  the  details of  the new confirmation process and chances with cancellation probability of last two years trend therefor;
- (c)  the  proposal  of  the  Government  to  issue  confirmed  tickets  to passengers whenever and wherever the person need it;
- (d)  the  year-wise  collection  details  of  dynamic  system  and  berth confirmation since 2015;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to issue confirmed tickets to the patients travelling for treatment purpose for all the trains; and
- (f)   if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) to (f) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (f)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 266 BY SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 12.12.2018 REGARDING NEW WEBSITE FOR ONLINE BOOKING

(a): A tool  has  been  developed  to predict the probability of waitlisted ticket getting confirmed at the time of booking as well as during  Passenger  Name  Record (PNR)  enquiry  of  waitlisted  ticket. The  tool  has  been  developed  using  the  algorithm  of  Machine learning.  The machine learning model has been developed using the waitlisted PNR data of past 2 years.  This model creates the pattern for the various waitlist scenarios and predicts the probability for the future date journey.  Currently this feature is integrated with Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website. In IRCTC website this feature is operational as under:

- (i) When  the  user  is  doing  the  booking  transaction,  and  if the status of accommodation availability of the desired/enquired journey is waitlisted, then the user can check the probability of confirmation.
- (ii) At the time of PNR enquiry of waitlisted ticket, the user can check the probability of confirmation.

At  present,  there  is  no  proposal  to  withdraw  premium  Tatkal quota on dynamic fare and other variable fare schemes.  However, Flexi fare scheme in Rajdhani, Shatabdi & Duronto Trains has been rationalized as under:

- (i) Discontinuation of Flexi fare scheme from 15 trains full year and  from  32  trains  during  pre  defined  lean  period  of  3 months (February, March & August)

- (ii) Maximum  cap  of  flexi  fare  scheme  has  been  reduced  to 1.4 times in all flexi fare applicable classes.
- (iii) Graded discount has been introduced in flexi fare trains and Humsafar trains, where class-wise occupancy is less than 60%,  4  days  prior  to  scheduled  departure  of  the  train  as under:-

| Occupancy   | Discount         |
|-------------|------------------|
| Upto 70%    | 20% on last fare |
| 70 to 80%   | 10% on last fare |
| Above 80%   | Nil              |

The above changes have been implemented w.e.f. 15-03-2019 on an experimental basis for 6 months.

(b):  As  far  as  trends  of  confirmation  chances  and  cancellation chances  probability  is  concerned,  it  is  informed  that  it  varies depending  upon  peak  and  lean  periods,  type  of  trains  like  short distance  trains,  long  journey  trains,  trains  with  limited  stoppage, etc.

(c):  In  the  computerised  Passenger  Reservation  System  (PRS), confirmed berths/seats are allotted on first come first served basis till  the  availability and thereafter Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC)/Waiting List tickets are issued. The status of RAC/Waiting List tickets get automatically updated  against the cancellation of confirmed berths/seats and also against release of unutilised reservation quotas.

To facilitate those passengers who have to undertake journey at  short  notice  and  to  save  such  passengers  from  the  clutches  of unscrupulous elements/touts, Tatkal scheme  of reservation is available where the accommodation becomes available for booking on  the  previous  day  of  journey  from  train  originating  station. Further,    with  a  view  to  provide  confirmed  accommodation  to waiting list passengers and to ensure optimal utilisation of available accommodation, a scheme known as Alternate Train Accommodation  (ATAS)  known  as  'VIKALP'  was  introduced  as  a pilot  project  in  November,  2015.    This  scheme  has  since  been expanded to cover all type of train on all sectors from April, 2017. For this facility, waiting list passenger has to give an option at the time of booking of ticket & passengers with waiting list status at the  time  of  preparation  of  first  reservation  charts  are  shifted  to other trains, subject to availability of vacant accommodation.

(d): The concept of Premium trains with dynamic fare structure was introduced in December 2013 and it continued till June 2015. This concept  was  reviewed  and  from  July  2015,  Suvidha  trains  with variable  fare  structure  were  introduced.  Premium  Tatkal  Quota having  element  of  dynamic  fare  structure  was  introduced  w.e.f. 01.10.2014  whereas,  Flexi  Fare  System  (also  having  variable  fare structure) was  introduced w.e.f. 09.09.2016. Total year-wise earnings from Dynamic/variable/flexi fare System including that from

## Premium/Suvidha trains, flexi fare trains as well as Premium Tatkal Quota from January 2015 till November 2018 has been as under:

fare

| Financial Year                | Earnings from Dynamic fare structure/Premium Tatkal Quota/flexi fare/variable fare ( ` in crores)   |
|-------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2014-15(January 2015 to March | 88.31                                                                                               |
| 2015)                         |                                                                                                     |
| 2015-16                       | 458.18                                                                                              |
| 2016-17                       | 864.61                                                                                              |
| 2017-18                       | 1477.35                                                                                             |
| 2018-19 (upto November)       | 1127.74                                                                                             |

The details of approximate number of waiting list passengers whose status got upgraded to RAC/Confirmed during the above said period are as under:-

| Financial Year                | Number of waiting list passengers whose status got upgraded to RAC/confirmed (in millions)   |
|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2014-15(January 2015 to March | 17.46                                                                                        |
| 2015)                         |                                                                                              |
| 2015-16                       | 73.69                                                                                        |
| 2016-17                       | 70.98                                                                                        |
| 2017-18                       | 70.22                                                                                        |
| 2018-19 (upto November)       | 51.29                                                                                        |

(e)  &  (f):  In  the  computerized  PRS  there  is  already  a  provision  to permit cancer patients and their attendants travelling on concessional tickets issued in exchange of concession certificate, to  directly  access  Emergency  Quota  at  the  time  of  booking  itself. Maximum number of berths/seats out of the Emergency Quota in a train, which can be accessed by Cancer patients and their attendants in Sleeper, is 4 and 2 each in AC Chair Car, AC 3 tier, AC 2 tier and First Classes. In addition, separate Cancer Patient Quota has also been defined in some identified trains. Moreover, instructions  are  also  there  that  in  case  requests  are  received  for confirmation  of  berths  out  of  emergency  quota  from  patients  who have  to  undertake  journey  for  checkup  like  cancer  treatment  and dangerous ailments which cannot be postponed due to compelling circumstances, the same should be considered by quota controlling authority as per extant norms so as to accommodate to the extent feasible after satisfying themselves of the genuineness of travel.

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