Lok Sabha Question No. 666 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Access to Confirmed Tickets
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Anand Bhadauria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 666

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025

## ACCESS TO CONFIRMED TICKETS

## 666. SHRI ANAND BHADAURIA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that common people don't have access to confirmed ticket in trains except Vande Bharat;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c)  whether  touts  have  become  active  in  whole  railway  system  over the last 2-3 years;
- (d) if so, the number of touts identified and arrested during last three years, zone-wise; and
- (e)  the  details  of  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  make  railway tickets easily available to common people of the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (e)  On  Indian  Railways  tickets can be booked online or across reservation counters on first cum first served basis. Initially confirmed tickets are issued, thereafter Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC)/Waiting list tickets are issued.

The status of RAC/Waiting list passengers gets updated automatically against the vacant accommodation becoming available on account of cancellation of tickets booked prior to such tickets and release of unutilised quota at the time of preparation of first reservation charts.

Moreover, the demand pattern of reserved accommodation is not uniform throughout the year and it varies over lean and peak periods. The  trains  running  on  popular  routes  and  convenient  timings  are generally well patronized, however, in other trains, accommodation is generally available.

Waiting list position  of  the  trains  running  on  Indian  Railways  is monitored on regular basis and in order to cater to additional demand, Indian Railways operates Special train services and augments the load of trains to generate additional accommodation.

In  FY2022-23  approx.  4600  Mail/Exp,  Passenger  and  Special trains  were  run  on  daily  basis  which  has  increased  progressively  to approx. 5380 in FY 2025-26 (upto May). The number of special trains have increased from 80 trains per day to almost three times, to 235 trains per day in FY 2025-26 (upto May).

Further,  schemes  like  Alternate  Train  Accommodation  Scheme (ATAS)  known  as  VIKALP  and  Up-gradation  scheme  have  been introduced to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers and also to ensure optimal utilization of available accommodation.

As  far  as  touts  are  concerned,  instances  of  malpractices  in ticketing  by  unscrupulous  elements  do  come  to  notice  from  time  to time.  To  curb  their  activities,  regular  joint  drives  are  conducted  by

Commercial,  Vigilance  and  Railway  Protection  Force  against  touts. These checks are intensified during peak rush/festival periods.  Touts apprehended  are  prosecuted  as  per  Section  143  of  Railways  Act. Accordingly,  during  the  period  of  2022  to  2024,  Railway  Protection Force  (RPF)  has  registered  14778  cases  against  touts  and  16615 persons have been arrested under section 143 of the Railway Act. With a view to facilitate passengers in getting reserved tickets, Indian Railways has provided the facility of booking reserved tickets through  website  of    Indian  Railway  Catering  &Tourism  Corporation (IRCTC)/its  app,  reservation  counters  of  Indian  Railways,  authorised ticketing agents, etc, for online as well as counter tickets, etc. Taking such measures to facilitate passengers is a continuous and  ongoing process.

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