Kolkata: Indian Railways is going to overhaul the passenger ticket reservation system for passengers replacing the current one which has been introduced
in 1986. The authorities have indicated that it will improve ticket booking experience and increase system capacity. The new system has been designed using modern technology such as artificial intelligence and can handle higher capacity for meeting growing demand for online train ticket booking. Internet-based ticket booking was introduced by Indian Railwaysin 2002 and according to the authorities about 88% of tickets are purchased through digital platforms now.
AI-assisted waitlist prediction
No matter how much the railways raises passenger carrying capacities, there always seems to be a rush for tickets and, therefore, waitlists are a major area of concern for passengers. The new ticketing system will incorporate an AI-based waitlist prediction. It has already been introduced earlier in 2026 and the technology estimates the chances of a waitlisted ticket getting confirmed, which is of paramount importance to a passenger who does not get a confirmed ticket at the time of booking. The railways have said that this model has helped accuracy in prediction to rise from 53% to 94%.
The RailOne app
According to the Railways, about 9.29 lakh tickets are booked every day through the RailOne app, which was launched in July 2025. This number includes about 7.2 lakh unreserved tickets and 2.09 lakh reserved tickets. The app has so far been downloaded 3.5 times in just about a year. Among other utilities, the app enables one to book and cancel tickets, check status of trains, access information on platform and coaches and even raise complaints.
