Indian Railways has made a significant change to its advance reservation system, reducing the booking window from 120 days to 60 days. The new rule, effective November 1, 2024, aims to streamline the ticket booking process and ensure fair distribution of tickets.
According to a notification issued by the Railway Ministry on Thursday, October 17, 2024, all bookings made under the 120-day Advance Reservation Period (ARP) until October 31, 2024, will remain valid. However, for bookings made after that date, passengers will be able to reserve tickets only 60 days in advance.
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The railways clarified that this change will not affect the booking period for premium trains like the Rajdhani Express and the Gatimaan Express, which already have shorter advance reservation periods. Similarly, the 365-day booking window for foreign tourists will remain unchanged.
The move comes as the Indian Railways continues to work on simplifying the ticketing system and cracking down on illegal ticket bookings. By reducing the advance reservation period, the railways hope to prevent black marketing and make tickets more accessible to the general public.