Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 30: In a move aimed at easing the woes of train passengers, the Railway Ministry on Saturday announced a revised order enhancing the waiting list limit to 60% for all AC classes and 30% for non-AC categories, reversing its earlier decision to restrict it to 25%.

The original directive, issued on April 17, had limited waiting list bookings to just 25% of the total seat or berth capacity across all classes. The move, implemented nationwide, had triggered concerns among reservation supervisors, ticket booking clerks and senior commercial officials, who termed it uneconomical and inconvenient, especially on high-demand routes.

Barely a fortnight later, after reviewing feedback from the ground, the ministry issued a fresh circular on June 28, superseding the earlier one. “The matter has been reviewed and in supersession of earlier instructions, it has been decided to revise the maximum current waiting list limits to 60% and 30% of the redefined capacity for AC and non-AC classes, respectively,” the circular noted.

The revised order will also apply to Tatkal bookings and tickets booked from roadside and remote stations, bringing much-needed relief to passengers relying on last-minute travel options. However, the updated cap will not be applicable to concessional bookings, government warrants, and similar quota-based tickets.

To ensure availability from remote stations where no confirmed berths are usually allotted, the ministry has allowed pre-defined waiting list quotas based on historical demand patterns.

Railway insiders had previously cautioned that the April 17 cap was impacting both passenger convenience and revenue generation. According to the older system that had been in place since 2013, first AC and Executive Class had a cap of 30, 2AC had 100, 3AC and Chair Car had 300, while Sleeper Class had up to 400 waiting list limits. The blanket 25% restriction had therefore led to a dramatic drop in ticket availability.

A senior railway official, welcoming the course correction, “It is reassuring that the ministry acknowledged the concerns and responded swiftly. The earlier cap was unrealistic and was hurting passenger confidence as well as revenue. There’s also a strong case to revise the non-AC cap upwards.”

The Railway Board has instructed all Principal Chief Commercial Managers (PCCMs) of various zones to take immediate note and implement the revised system. The Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) has also been directed to make necessary adjustments in the reservation software, ensuring the changes reflect in real-time bookings.

The decision is expected to provide a much-needed boost in ticket availability, especially during peak travel seasons, festivals, and holidays, offering greater flexibility and hope to lakhs of train travellers across the country.