Indian Railways will begin shifting trains to its upgraded Passenger Reservation System (PRS) from August, marking a major technology overhaul of the four-decade-old reservation platform.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the transition plan at Rail Bhawan and directed officials to ensure passengers do not face inconvenience during the migration process. Union Ministers of State for Railways, V. Somanna and Ravneet Singh Bittu were also present at the meeting.
Reservation system gets major technology overhaul
The existing reservation system, first introduced in 1986, has undergone several incremental changes over the years. The latest upgrade completely revamps the platform with expanded capacity and modern technology infrastructure.
Indian Railways had introduced internet-based ticketing in 2002, fundamentally changing how passengers book tickets. Today, nearly 88% of total ticketing demand is fulfilled through online channels, reducing dependence on physical reservation counters.
RailOne app gains traction among passengers
The RailOne mobile application, launched in July last year, has emerged as a key digital platform for railway passengers. The app has crossed 3.5 crore downloads within less than a year of launch.
The app offers integrated railway services including booking, cancellation and refunds for reserved, unreserved and platform tickets. It also provides live train running status, platform information, coach position details and passenger support through Rail Madad.
A major feature driving user adoption is its AI-based waitlist confirmation prediction system. According to the Railways, the prediction accuracy has improved sharply from 53% earlier to 94% now. Passengers can also order food through the app for seat delivery during journeys.
Daily ticket bookings cross 9 lakh on RailOne
Indian Railways said around 9.29 lakh tickets are booked daily through the RailOne app, including 7.2 lakh unreserved tickets and 2.09 lakh reserved tickets. The figures also include platform tickets.
The app has recorded 3.16 crore downloads on Android devices through Google Play Store and over 33 lakh downloads on Apple devices.
Railways highlights passenger subsidy
Indian Railways also highlighted the scale of subsidy extended to passengers during FY25. The national transporter provided a subsidy of ₹60,239 crore on passenger tickets during 2024-25.
This translates into an average subsidy of 43% per passenger ticket. According to Railways, if the actual service cost is ₹100, passengers pay only around ₹57 as fare.