New Delhi: Indian Railways is preparing to roll out one of the biggest changes to its ticket booking system in decades. Beginning in August, train ticket reservations will gradually move to a new Passenger Reservation System (PRS) and replace the platform that has been in use since 1986.
The move is aimed at making ticket booking faster, improving the system’s capacity and giving passengers a smoother experience. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently reviewed the progress of the project at Rail Bhavan and instructed officials to ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience during the transition.
Goodbye to a 40-year-old system
The existing PRS was introduced in 1986. It has served as the backbone of railway ticket bookings for nearly four decades. While upgrades have been added over the years, the core system has largely continued in the same form.
The new reservation platform has been built using modern technology and can handle a much larger volume of bookings. Railway officials believe it will offer faster processing and better performance as the number of digital users continues to rise.
The way people book train tickets has changed since the Indian Railways introduced online ticket booking in 2002. Today, most passengers prefer booking tickets through digital platforms rather than visiting reservation counters. According to railway data, nearly 88 percent of all ticket bookings are now made online.
The rise of RailOne app
The reservation upgrade is part of Indian Railways’ digital push. A major component of that effort is the RailOne app, which was launched in July 2025.
In less than a year, the app has crossed 3.5 crore downloads. It allows passengers to access several railway services from a single platform. Users can book and cancel tickets, check train running status, get platform and coach information and lodge complaints without switching between different applications.
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Railway officials say the app is being used extensively across the country. Around 9.29 lakh tickets are booked through it every day. Of these, nearly 7.2 lakh are general tickets, while about 2.09 lakh are reserved tickets.
AI can tell if your ticket may confirm
One of the most talked-about additions to the railway booking ecosystem is an artificial intelligence-based waiting list prediction tool.
Introduced earlier this year, the feature estimates the chances of a waiting-list ticket getting confirmed. This helps passengers make travel plans with greater confidence before their journey.
According to the Railways, the accuracy of the prediction system has significantly improved. It initially delivered an accuracy rate of around 53 percent. That number has now reached 94 percent.
With the launch of the new PRS from August, the Indian Railways hopes to make ticket booking faster, smarter and more dependable. The upgraded platform is expected to support the rising number of digital users while improving the overall booking experience for millions of passengers across the country.