NEW DELHI: Indian Railways has reduced the advance reservation period (ARP) of tickets from 120 days to 60 days, The move, it claimed, would benefit passengers as this is likely to minimise blocking of tickets, and bring down cancellations, reports Dipak Dash.
The new norm will be in force from Nov 1, as per a circular Railway Board issued on Wednesday. This is the 12th time that ARP has been changed since 1981.The lowest period was for 30 days between Sept 1995 and Feb 1998. Railways increased ARP to 120 days in Apr 2015.
Sources said railways has revised the policy considering reservation trends. “Generally, 120 days is too long for planning travel, and this resulted in high cancellations,” an official said.
Railway ministry records show, at present, about 21% of reservations are cancelled and 4%-5% passengers neither cancel their tickets nor turn up for the journey. “This leads to frauds such as impersonation, and railway staff taking money illegally to accommodate wait-listed passengers,” the official said.