Indian Railways is embarking on an ambitious initiative to introduce approximately 2,000 additional trains per day over the next four years, to ensure confirmed berths for passengers and eliminate wait-listed tickets.
This initiative aims to accommodate 1,000 crore passengers annually, an increase from the current figure of 800 crore, as stated by a senior official from the Railway Ministry.
Currently, the Railways records about 5 crore wait-listed passengers each year due to the limited availability of berths in the reserved category. Presently, 10,748 passenger-carrying trains are operating daily, and the proposed addition of 2,000 trains is intended to provide confirmed tickets to all passengers.
The plan includes the introduction of 450 Vande Bharat trains and 200 push-pull trains, among other Mail and Express services, that are expected to be introduced in the next 4 years.
The railways have been expanding line capacity to accommodate more trains, and DFC operations have also taken off the load from the rail network.
To facilitate the faster movement of trains, Indian Railways is also constructing 1,000 Rail Over Bridges and Rail Under Bridges throughout the rail network in the current fiscal year.
Indian Railways has implemented a key reform by limiting the issuance of waitlisted tickets to 25% of a coach’s capacity, applicable across all classes and zones. This move is aimed at promoting greater transparency in ticketing.
Under the new initiative, the 25% cap on waitlisted tickets is uniformly applicable across all classes, including Sleeper, AC First, AC Second, AC Third, Chair Car, and Executive Chair Car. As per this rule, only one-quarter of the confirmed-available berths in each coach will be allocated for waitlisted status.
In the past, waitlists frequently extended beyond 300 passengers in Sleeper class and over 150 in AC coaches, especially during high-demand periods. These long queues varied by zone and often left passengers uncertain about their travel plans. The new initiative will restrict waitlisted booking capacity to 25% of a coach’s total available seats.
