Railways upgrades 40-year-old reservation system with AI features. Know more
Indian Railways will begin shifting trains to its upgraded passenger reservation system from August, with a focus on smoother ticket booking, AI-powered updates and better passenger services.
Indian Railways will begin moving trains to its upgraded passenger reservation system from August as part of a major technology overhaul aimed at improving ticket booking and passenger services.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the transition plans during a meeting at Rail Bhawan and asked officials to ensure passengers do not face inconvenience during the shift from the existing 40-year-old system.
Union Ministers of State for Railways V. Somanna and Ravneet Singh Bittu were also present during the review meeting. The upgrade comes as railway ticket booking in India continues to move rapidly towards digital platforms and app-based services.
MODERNISING A 40-YEAR-OLD SYSTEM
The current railway reservation system was introduced in 1986 and has gone through several smaller updates over the years.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the system has now been completely upgraded using modern technology with a much larger operational capacity.
Indian Railways first introduced internet-based ticket booking in 2002. Since then, online ticketing has grown rapidly across the country.
Officials said nearly 88 per cent of the total railway ticketing demand is now handled through digital channels, reducing dependence on physical ticket counters.
RAILONE APP GAINS POPULARITY
The RailOne mobile app, launched in July last year, has become one of the key parts of Indian Railways’ digital push. In less than a year, the app has crossed 3.5 crore downloads across Android and iOS platforms.
The app allows passengers to book, cancel and refund reserved and unreserved tickets. It also provides live train status, platform details, coach position information and access to Rail Madad services.
Passengers can also order food directly to their seats through the app.
Officials said around 9.29 lakh tickets are booked daily through the RailOne app, including 7.2 lakh unreserved tickets and 2.09 lakh reserved tickets.
ALSO READ: Indian Railways Day: From steam engines to bullet train ...
AI-BASED WAITLIST PREDICTION
One of the most talked-about additions to the RailOne app is the AI-based waitlist confirmation prediction system.
The feature tells passengers how likely their waitlisted ticket is to get confirmed before travel. According to officials, prediction accuracy has improved from 53 per cent earlier to 94 per cent after the new AI-based system was introduced this year.
Indian Railways also said it provided a subsidy of Rs 60,239 crore on passenger tickets during 2024-25. This works out to an average subsidy of 43% per passenger fare.
In simple terms, if the cost of providing the service is Rs 100, passengers pay around Rs 57 as ticket fare.
Indian Railways will begin moving trains to its upgraded passenger reservation system from August as part of a major technology overhaul aimed at improving ticket booking and passenger services.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the transition plans during a meeting at Rail Bhawan and asked officials to ensure passengers do not face inconvenience during the shift from the existing 40-year-old system.
Union Ministers of State for Railways V. Somanna and Ravneet Singh Bittu were also present during the review meeting. The upgrade comes as railway ticket booking in India continues to move rapidly towards digital platforms and app-based services.
MODERNISING A 40-YEAR-OLD SYSTEM
The current railway reservation system was introduced in 1986 and has gone through several smaller updates over the years.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the system has now been completely upgraded using modern technology with a much larger operational capacity.
Indian Railways first introduced internet-based ticket booking in 2002. Since then, online ticketing has grown rapidly across the country.
Officials said nearly 88 per cent of the total railway ticketing demand is now handled through digital channels, reducing dependence on physical ticket counters.
RAILONE APP GAINS POPULARITY
The RailOne mobile app, launched in July last year, has become one of the key parts of Indian Railways’ digital push. In less than a year, the app has crossed 3.5 crore downloads across Android and iOS platforms.
The app allows passengers to book, cancel and refund reserved and unreserved tickets. It also provides live train status, platform details, coach position information and access to Rail Madad services.
Passengers can also order food directly to their seats through the app.
Officials said around 9.29 lakh tickets are booked daily through the RailOne app, including 7.2 lakh unreserved tickets and 2.09 lakh reserved tickets.
ALSO READ: Indian Railways Day: From steam engines to bullet train ...
AI-BASED WAITLIST PREDICTION
One of the most talked-about additions to the RailOne app is the AI-based waitlist confirmation prediction system.
The feature tells passengers how likely their waitlisted ticket is to get confirmed before travel. According to officials, prediction accuracy has improved from 53 per cent earlier to 94 per cent after the new AI-based system was introduced this year.
Indian Railways also said it provided a subsidy of Rs 60,239 crore on passenger tickets during 2024-25. This works out to an average subsidy of 43% per passenger fare.
In simple terms, if the cost of providing the service is Rs 100, passengers pay around Rs 57 as ticket fare.
