Indian Railways has announced new changes to its advance train ticket booking rules. According to sources cited by The Times of India (TOI), passengers will now only be able to book IRCTC train tickets 60 days in advance of the train's scheduled departure, compared to the current booking period of 120 days. This change will come into effect from November 1, 2024, the sources confirmed to TOI.
It's important to note that these new booking rules will not affect tickets that have already been booked. The decision to reduce the booking window was made to address issues passengers faced in cases of train cancellations. "People could book tickets and plan travel much in advance, but in case of any cancellation of trains, passengers faced problems," the source added.
Indian Railways Embraces AI for Optimizing Occupancy
In addition to the new booking rules, Indian Railways is also making strides in modernizing its operations by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into its systems. The organization has already implemented AI-enabled cameras to monitor the quality of linen and food on trains. More recently, it has introduced an AI model to optimize train occupancy and improve the rate of confirmed tickets.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained the success of the AI model, saying,"One Al model we used for checking the occupancy of trains had led to over 30% increase in the rate of confirmed tickets." This system analyzes data and predicts seat availability after the reservation chart is prepared four hours before the train's departure, allowing for more efficient allocation of seats to passengers on the waiting list.
Vaishnaw further emphasized,"The AI model is able to study data and predict availability of seats, leading to greater confirmations." The railways has moved away from the old method of evenly distributing seats across stations and now uses AI to adjust seat allocations based on station-specific demand.
These technological advancements, along with the new booking rules, aim to improve the overall passenger experience and operational efficiency of Indian Railways.
It's important to note that these new booking rules will not affect tickets that have already been booked. The decision to reduce the booking window was made to address issues passengers faced in cases of train cancellations. "People could book tickets and plan travel much in advance, but in case of any cancellation of trains, passengers faced problems," the source added.
Indian Railways Embraces AI for Optimizing Occupancy
In addition to the new booking rules, Indian Railways is also making strides in modernizing its operations by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into its systems. The organization has already implemented AI-enabled cameras to monitor the quality of linen and food on trains. More recently, it has introduced an AI model to optimize train occupancy and improve the rate of confirmed tickets.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained the success of the AI model, saying,"One Al model we used for checking the occupancy of trains had led to over 30% increase in the rate of confirmed tickets." This system analyzes data and predicts seat availability after the reservation chart is prepared four hours before the train's departure, allowing for more efficient allocation of seats to passengers on the waiting list.
Vaishnaw further emphasized,"The AI model is able to study data and predict availability of seats, leading to greater confirmations." The railways has moved away from the old method of evenly distributing seats across stations and now uses AI to adjust seat allocations based on station-specific demand.
These technological advancements, along with the new booking rules, aim to improve the overall passenger experience and operational efficiency of Indian Railways.
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