Indian Railways is preparing for one of its biggest railway reservation system upgrades in decades. From August, train bookings will gradually move to a new Passenger Reservation System (PRS), replacing the platform that has been in use since 1986.
The move aims to improve train ticket booking, increase system capacity and offer a better experience for passengers.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the progress at Rail Bhawan and instructed officials to ensure that passengers face no disruption during the transition.
Ministers of State for Railways V. Somanna and Ravneet Singh Bittu also attended the review meeting.
The current Passenger Reservation System was introduced in 1986 and has received only limited upgrades over the years. The new system has been rebuilt using modern technology and comes with much higher capacity to handle growing demand for online train ticket booking.
Indian Railways began internet-based ticketing in 2002, and today most passengers prefer booking tickets online instead of visiting reservation counters.
Around 88 per cent of ticket bookings now happen through digital platforms.
The transition is part of Indian Railways’ wider digital push. The RailOne app, launched in July 2025, has crossed 3.5 crore downloads in less than a year.
The app allows passengers to book and cancel tickets, check train running status, access platform and coach information, raise complaints and use other railway services from a single platform.
Railways says about 9.29 lakh tickets are booked every day through the app. This includes around 7.2 lakh unreserved tickets and 2.09 lakh reserved tickets.
AI HELPS PASSENGERS TRACK CONFIRMATION CHANCES
One of the most talked-about features is AI-based waitlist prediction. Introduced earlier this year, the tool estimates the chances of a waitlisted ticket getting confirmed.
According to the Railways, prediction accuracy has improved from 53 per cent to 94 per cent, making it easier for passengers to plan their journeys.
With the upgraded Passenger Reservation System set to go live from August, Indian Railways hopes to make train ticket booking faster, smarter and more reliable for millions of passengers across the country.v
