New Delhi: Indian Railways is set to overhaul its Passenger Reservation System (PRS) by December 2025, introducing a faster, smarter, and more secure ticketing experience for passengers. The new system will be capable of generating more than 1.5 lakh tickets per minute, a fivefold increase from the current capacity of 32,000. The upgrade, being developed by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), will also raise enquiry capacity from 4 lakh to over 40 lakh per minute.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, during a recent review meeting, underlined the need to build a ticketing system that is “smart, transparent, accessible, and efficient,” with a focus on passenger convenience.

In a major change to reduce travel uncertainty for waitlisted passengers, Indian Railways will begin advanced charting. Instead of the existing system of preparing reservation charts four hours before train departure, the new system will prepare charts eight hours in advance. For trains departing before 2 pm, the chart will be ready by 9 pm the previous day. This will help passengers plan better and make alternate arrangements if needed.

The upcoming PRS will also be multilingual and user-friendly. It will offer additional features such as seat selection options, fare calendar, and integrated access for categories like Divyangjan, students, and patients.

To strengthen transparency and security in Tatkal bookings, Indian Railways will introduce authentication requirements. Starting 1 July 2025, only authenticated users can book Tatkal tickets on the IRCTC website and mobile app. OTP-based verification will be mandatory from the end of July. Further, the authentication will be broadened through Aadhaar or other government ID linked to DigiLocker.

These developments reflect the Railways Ministry’s push towards a digital-first, passenger-friendly system aligned with the goals of Digital India.

BI Bureai