Railways Cut Advance Ticket Booking Period From 120 Days To 60 Days
Indian Railways reduces advance ticket booking period from 120 to 60 days starting November 1, 2024.
The Ministry of Railways has announced a new rule reducing the time limit for booking train tickets in advance. From November 1, 2024, passengers will be able to book tickets only 60 days (2 months) before the journey date, instead of the earlier 120 days. This rule will not affect tickets already booked before October 31, 2024, or certain express trains like the Taj Express and Gomti Express, which already have a shorter booking period.
The new rule also does not apply to General class tickets, which are bought just before the journey, or foreign tourists, who still have a 365-day advance booking period.
According to railway officials, the change is meant to reduce cancellations and ‘no shows’ (when passengers don't turn up). Currently, 21% of tickets are canceled, and 4% to 5% of passengers don’t show up, causing wasted seats and financial losses for the railways. Officials hope that a shorter booking period will reduce these problems, allowing for better planning of special trains and minimizing fraud.
This change will be reflected on all booking platforms, including IRCTC, Makemytrip, Paytm, and Rail Yatri.
The new rule is part of an effort to make the booking system more efficient and prevent the misuse of tickets.
