Indian railways trials 24-hour advance confirmation for waitlisted tickets

New Delhi: The Railway Ministry has launched a pilot initiative aimed at easing travel uncertainty for passengers with waiting list tickets by announcing confirmation status 24 hours before a train's departure, as opposed to the current system of finalising charts just four hours before departure.

According to the ministry, the trial has been introduced in the Bikaner Division, and its continuation will depend on passenger feedback. If well-received, it may be adopted as official policy.

“We have started this pilot project in the Bikaner Division, where charts are being prepared 24 hours before the train's departure. The current practice is to do so four hours before,” said Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information and Publicity at the Railway Board.

Kumar explained that the initiative addresses a long-standing concern among passengers holding waiting list tickets, who often remain uncertain about their travel plans until the last minute. “Now, if they know 24 hours in advance that their tickets are confirmed, they can plan their travel better,” he added.

However, this early confirmation will have implications for cancellations. Under the current cancellation policy, a confirmed ticket cancelled between 48 hours and 12 hours before departure entitles the passenger to a refund of only 25 per cent of the ticket fare. If cancelled between 4 hours and 12 hours before departure, the refund is limited to 50 percent.

Officials clarified that any seats or berths vacated due to cancellations after chart preparation will be reallocated through the current booking system.

The move is intended to enhance passenger convenience and improve travel planning, though officials have emphasised that a full rollout will depend on the outcome of the ongoing trial and feedback from travellers.

With PTI inputs