NEW DELHI, Oct 17: The Indian Railways have decided to reduce the advance ticket booking period from 120 days to 60 fays.
The significant change in the booking system will come into effect from November 1, a notification issued by the Ministry of Railways on Thursday said.
Announcing the new ticket booking policy, the notification said the reduction in the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) from 120 days to just 60 days aimed at making ticket bookings more accessible for travellers.
Previously, train passengers had to plan their journeys months in advance to secure tickets. However, under the new rule, reservations can now be made only 60 days ahead of travel (excluding the travel date). This shift is expected to benefit those who may have found the long advance booking window restrictive.
The change would not impact the advance reservation period for international passengers. Additionally, trains that already have a shorter ARP, such as the Gomti Express and Taj Express, will remain unaffected by this change. The notification said the passengers were encouraged to take note of this change and adjust their travel plans accordingly.
(Manas Dasgupta)