What Are the New Railway Ticket Reservation Rules?
The new railway ticket reservation rules have come into effect, with Indian Railways reducing the Advance Reservation Period from 120 days to 60 days. The move aims to curb ticket hoarding and improve ticket availability. Existing bookings remain valid, while exemptions continue for select trains and the 365-day booking facility for foreign tourists remains unchanged.
The new railway ticket reservation rules have come into effect from today, with Indian Railways reducing the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) for train tickets from 120 days to 60 days. The move is aimed at improving ticket availability and reducing the scope for ticket hoarding, while bookings made before the revised deadline will remain valid.
According to NewsOnAir, the revised reservation policy applies to advance bookings made from today onwards. However, bookings already made up to October 31 under the earlier rules will not be affected. Indian Railways Digital Ticket Rules: Why Screenshots and WhatsApp Copies Are Now Invalid.
Advance Booking Window Reduced to 60 Days
According to NewsOnAir: “The new train ticket advance reservation booking rules have come into force as of today. The railways have reduced the existing time limit for advance reservations in trains from 120 days to 60 days. However, all the bookings done up to 31st October this year will remain intact.”
Indian Railways said the revised booking window is expected to reduce ticket hoarding and make more seats available for genuine passengers closer to the date of travel. Railways to Operate over 300 Special Trains for Jagannath Rath Yatra, 100 for Onam: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The ministry also noted that around 21% of reservations made between 61 and 120 days before travel were eventually cancelled, indicating that a shorter booking window could improve seat utilisation.
Which Trains Are Exempt?
The revised Advance Reservation Period will not apply to all trains. According to the railway ministry, services such as the Taj Express and Gomtin Express will continue to follow their existing advance reservation limits.
The ministry also clarified that the 365-day advance booking facility for foreign tourists remains unchanged, allowing international visitors to continue booking tickets well in advance.
General Reservation Rules Passengers Should Know
Indian Railways has reiterated the following reservation guidelines for passengers:
- Official booking: Tickets should be purchased only through railway reservation counters or authorised travel agencies.
- Advance Reservation Period (ARP): The advance booking period has been reduced from 120 days to 60 days.
- Booking limit: A maximum of six passengers can be booked on a single reservation request for the same train and destination.
- Berth rules (9 pm to 6 am): Reserved berths are meant for sleeping during nighttime hours. During the day, passengers may be required to share seating space with others in the compartment.
- According to Indian Railways, the reduction in the advance reservation window is intended to improve ticket availability by discouraging ticket hoarding and speculative bookings.
The ministry also observed that a significant proportion of long-term reservations were being cancelled, leading to inefficient utilisation of available seats.
By reducing the Advance Reservation Period to 60 days, the Railways aims to make the reservation system more efficient while ensuring that passengers have better access to confirmed tickets.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2026 09:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).