Indian Railways Supercharges Ticketing: New PRS to Handle 1.5 Lakh Bookings Per Minute

In a landmark digital upgrade, Indian Railways is set to roll out a next-generation Passenger Reservation System (PRS) capable of processing over 1.5 lakh ticket bookings per minute—a fivefold leap from the current 32,000. The overhaul, spearheaded by the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), is expected to be fully operational by December 2025.

 

The new PRS is designed to be agile, scalable, and multilingual, with a user-friendly interface that allows passengers to select preferred seats, view fare calendars, and access integrated services for students, patients, and Divyangjan. It also boosts ticket enquiry capacity tenfold, from 4 lakh to over 40 lakh queries per minute.

 

Key Highlights:

 

- Booking Surge: New PRS to handle 1.5 lakh bookings/min, up from 32,000.

- Enquiry Boost: Capacity jumps from 4 lakh to 40 lakh/min.

- Charting Reform: Reservation charts to be prepared 8 hours before departure, improving predictability for waitlisted passengers.

- Security Upgrade: OTP-based authentication for Tatkal bookings to be implemented by end-July; Aadhaar or DigiLocker-linked IDs required.

- Passenger-Centric Design: Multilingual interface with seat selection, fare calendar, and accessibility features.

- Minister’s Vision: Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasizes a “smart, transparent, and citizen-friendly” ticketing experience.

 

This digital leap is expected to drastically reduce booking bottlenecks, especially during peak seasons, and marks a pivotal step in Indian Railways’ modernization journey.

 

Sources: PSU Connect, News18, Hindustan Times