Indian Railways is planning a major overhaul of its reservation system. Starting in August, train ticket booking will gradually shift to the new Passenger Reservation System (PRS), which will replace the old system that has been in place since 1986. This overhaul aims to simplify the ticket booking process, increase system capacity, and provide a better passenger experience. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav reviewed the progress of this work at Rail Bhavan and instructed officials to ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience during this process.
The current Passenger Reservation System (PRS) was introduced in 1986 and has undergone minimal changes. Now, it has been completely redesigned with new technology, enabling it to handle faster and more ticket bookings than before. Indian Railways introduced online ticket booking in 2002, and today, most people prefer to book tickets online rather than visiting counters. Now, approximately 88% of ticket bookings are done through digital platforms.
This change is part of the Railways’ digitalization plan. Launched in July 2025, the RailOne app has surpassed 35 million downloads in less than a year. With this app, passengers can access a variety of services in one place, including booking and canceling tickets, checking train status, obtaining platform and coach information, and filing complaints. Overall, this new system and app are making railway services easier and better for passengers. According to the Railways, approximately 9.29 lakh tickets are booked daily through the app. This includes approximately 7.2 lakh general tickets and 2.09 lakh reserved tickets.
A key feature of this system is AI-based waiting list prediction. It was launched earlier this year. This feature indicates the probability of a waitlisted ticket being confirmed. According to the Railways, its accuracy has increased from 53% previously to 94%. This helps passengers plan their journey better. After the launch of the new passenger reservation system from August, the Railways’ target is to make ticket booking faster, smarter and more reliable, so that crores of passengers across the country can get more convenience.