You can book your rail ticket 120 days in advance from Saturday i.e.10.03.2012. The Ministry of Railways has decided to increase the reservation period for train tickets from the existing 90 days to 120.
On Saturday, reservation opened for all trains starting from July 8. It is expected that the four-month advance reservation period will help the commuters who travel during festivals or summer vacation period. To ensure transparency in the Tatkal booking period, recently the railway has reduced the Tatkal booking period from 48 hours to 24 hours to prevent misuse of the facility.
V J Accamma, chief public relations officer of Southern Railway, said the new system would help travellers buy tickets without depending on travel agents. "Many people have been depending on travel agents and paying extra money for tickets for scheduled journeys like summer vacations. This new system will help them ensure they get the tickets without depending on any such agents," she added.
The move Implements the Announcements made in the Railway Budget 2011-12
The Minister of Railways, Shri Dinesh Trivedi today announced introduction of 26 new trains, extension of five existing trains, increase in frequency of two existing trains and introduction of new five sub-urban trains. Most of these new services announced were part of the Railway Budget 2011-12. The trains announced in the Railway Budget 2011-12 are implemented by the end of the financial year i.e. 31st March 2012. With this announcement, 115 out of 132 new trains proposed for introduction during Railway Budget 2011-12 will get introduced, 19 out of 22 increase in frequency of trains proposed in Railway Budget 2011-12 will be effected and all the extension of trains proposed in Railway Budget 2011-12 will get implemented. Efforts are being made to ensure introduction of other remaining services proposed in the Railway Budget 2011-12 by the stipulated date of 31st March, 2012. Today’s announcement include three Duronto, one Shatabdi, one fully AC Express, three Rajyarani Express, nine Mail and Express services, three MEMU services, three DEMU services and five EMU services.
In case of new trains, local public representatives as per laid down protocol will be invited by the concerned Zonal Railway/Divisional Railway for the formal flagging off in next 7 to 10 days.
Extension and increase in frequency of the existing trains will be introduced with immediate effect, as operationally feasible.
The list of new trains, extension of existing services etc. is given below:
Sl
Train no. and name
1
12297/12298 Pune-Ahmedabad AC Duronto (Tri-weekly)
2
22209/22210 Mumbai Central-New Delhi AC Duronto (Bi-weekly)
3
19405/19406 Ahmedabad-Yesvantpur AC Express (Weekly)
The Ministry of Railways has advised the passengers travelling on the train on a short notice to use the facility of Current Reservation Counter situated at the train originating main stations. The Ministry has pointed out that vacant reserved seats available on train after preparation of reservation charts can be booked at the Current Counters of the train originating stations upto a specified time before departure of trains.
The Railways wishes to create further awareness among the passengers about this facility as due to lack of adequate awareness, it is misused by unscrupulous elements/intermediaries for providing confirmed accommodation to passengers at a premium by using the current counter facility.
It may be mentioned that a reserved ticket can be booked across the Passenger Reservation System counters all over the country as well as through internet only upto the time of preparation of reservation charts. After preparation of reservation charts, the berths/seats available, if any, can be booked at the current counter available at the major stations. The reservation charts are normally prepared 3 to 4 hours before he scheduled departure of the train. In case of trains leaving early morning, the charts are prepared on the previous night.
Source:pib
No.2011/TG-I/20/P/Tatkal New Delhi, dated 16.01.2012
To,
Chief Commercial Mangers,
All Zonal Railways
(Including Metro railways, Kolkata).
(COMMERCIAL CIRCULAR No. 04 of 2012)
Sub: Provision for carrying of ID proof during journey on reserved tickets.
1. At present the passengers with Tatkal ticket and e-ticket are to carry original proof of identity during the course of railway journey. With a view to preventing the cases of travelling on transferred tickets, now it has been decided that any one of the passengers/the passenger booked on the tickets issued from computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRs) and internet (i-ticket), undertaking journey in AC-3 tier, AC-2 tier, 1st AC, AC Chair Car and Executive Classes, will also have to carry any one of the nine prescribed proofs of identity (in original) during the journey and produce the same as and when required failing which all the passengers booked on that ticket will be treated as without ticket and charged accordingly.
2. The list of valid proofs of identity are as under:-
·Voter Photo identity card issued by Election Commission of India.
·Passport.
·PAN Card issued by Income Tax Department.
·Driving Licence issued by RTO.
·Photo identity card having serial number issued by Central/State Government.
·Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recognized school/College for their
Students.
·Nationalised Bank Passbook with photograph
·Credit Cards issued by Banks with laminated photograph.
·Unique Identification Card ”AAdhaar”.
3.CRIS will make necessary provision in the software for indicating the message on this account on the ticket issued in the above said classes through computerized PRS/I-ticket.
4.These instructions will come into effect from 15.02.2012.
5.Wide publicity may be given by zonal railways through all possible means on this account for the information of general public.
6.Necessary instructions may be issued to all concerned particularly Ticket Checking Staff so as to educate them about the revised provisions.
