Lok Sabha Question No. 153 (STARRED), answered on 2015-12-09
Subject: Changes in Rail Reservation System
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: RAM CHARITRA, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.153

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2015

## CHANGES IN RAIL RESERVATION SYSTEM

- *153.    SHRI RAM CHARITRA NISHAD: SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Union  Government  has  made  changes  in  the present  railway  reservation  system,  if  so,  the  details  in  this regard and the objective behind this move;
- (b) whether    the  commuters  are  allowed  to  book  online  train tickets 30 minutes before departure of the train under changed system;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the modalities worked out in this regard;
- (d) the details of difference in fares, if any, proposed under new scheme; and
- (e) whether the Railways proposes to release a second and final chart of reservation before departure of the train and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI SURESH PRABHAKAR PRABHU)

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

******

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF STARRED  QUESTION  NO.153  BY  SHRI  RAM  CHARITRA  NISHAD AND SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON  09.12.2015  REGARDING  CHANGES  IN  RAIL  RESERVATION SYSTEM.

- (a)  &  (e):  With  a  view  to  rationalise  the  computerised  Passenger Reservation System (PRS) in line with revised Railway Passengers (Cancellation  of  tickets  and  refund  of  fare)  Rules,  2015,  certain modifications  have  been  made  in  the  PRS  in  November,  2015. Further, these changes would provide benefit to the passengers as well as to the Railways and also check misuse of refund rules by unscrupulous elements as detailed below:
- (i) Passengers are able to know the final status of their ticket at least 4 hours in advance of the scheduled train departure time.
- (ii) The available accommodation can be booked by passengers till minutes before the actual departure of the train through internet as well as on the computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters of Indian Railways.
- (iii) Passengers at enroute stations can book available accommodation through the system even after departure of the train from the originating station.
- (iv) Touting  activities/speculative  booking  by  selling  of  berths at a premium at last minute to gullible passengers would be discouraged since no refund on confirmed ticket is permissible  after  four  hours  in  advance  of  the  scheduled departure of the train.
- (v) In case of trains having no Reservation Against Cancellation  (RAC)  or  waiting  list,  berths  going  vacant  on account of last minute cancellations and after departure of the train are now eliminated. In such trains, vacant berths generated on account of cancellations are allotted through the  system  in  a  transparent  manner  instead  of  being allotted by Ticket checking staff on the train.
- (vi) Bogus claims for refunds after travel get  eliminated  since refund after departure of the train are not permissible.

Following  changes  have  been  made  in  the  computerised PRS of Indian Railways in November 2015:-

1. Preparation of reservation chart at least four hours before scheduled  departure  of  train.    In  case  the  chart  is  not finalised,  system  will  automatically  finalise  it  releasing unutilised accommodation against various quotas to Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC)/waitlisted passengers.  This chart will be  known as first  reservation chart.
2. Immediately after preparation of first reservation chart, the reservation will again become available at the PRS counters as well as on internet and the passengers can:-
- i. Book  the  available  accommodation  in  the  train  for full/partial  leg  of  the  journey,  in  case  there  is  no RAC/waitlist for that leg.
- ii. In case there is RAC/waitlist in the train, the passengers have been given the facility to cancel such
5. ticket up to 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of train.
3. A second/final chart for reservations made and cancellation done after preparation of first chart will be taken out and handed over to onboard ticket checking staff.
7. (b) & (c):  After preparation of first reservation chart, the passengers can  book  the  vacant  accommodation  available  in  the  train  from PRS counters of Indian Railways or through internet, as mentioned above, up to preparation of second reservation chart. The second reservation chart shall be taken out at such time so as to ensure that the same reaches on board ticket checking staff of the train in time before departure of train.
8. (d):  No  extra  charges  have  been  levied  for  providing  the  above facilities.

*******