**Policy Summary: Revised Railway Reservation Chart Timings**
On August 20, 2025, the Ministry of Railways addressed Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 395 regarding the timing of railway reservation chart preparation. The policy revises the timings for preparing first reservation charts to provide passengers with advance notice of their reservation status.
Specifically, for trains with scheduled departure times between 0500 hours and 1400 hours, the reservation chart will be prepared preferably by 2100 hours of the previous day. For trains with scheduled departure times between 1400 hours and 0500 hours, the reservation chart will be prepared preferably 8 hours in advance.
This change aims to enhance passenger convenience, improve trip planning certainty, and provide more time for passengers traveling from distant areas to reach their trains. The policy is being implemented to ensure the final status of reservations is available reasonably in advance.
Minister of Railways, Information Broadcasting and Electronics Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw provided the response to the Lok Sabha.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: The government ministry responsible for the railways in India.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the starred question was addressed.
SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI: Member of Lok Sabha who posed the starred question regarding railway reservation charts.
SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW: The Minister of Railways, Information Broadcasting and Electronics Information Technology, who answered the question.
Railway Reservation Chart: Document indicating the status of reserved seats on a train.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 395
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025
RAILWAY RESERVATION CHART
*395. SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that the Railways have decided to release
reservation charts eight hours before departure of trains and if so, the
details thereof;
(b) whether it is also a fact that the present mandatory releasing of seats
and berths four hours before departure of train is not strictly followed and
at times, final chart comes just one to two hours before departure of train
and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the manner in which Railways proposes to ensure that charts are
strictly released eight hours before departure of the train and the reasons
for implementing it in a phased manner?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
*****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 395 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025
(a) to (c) In order to facilitate passengers by providing final status of their
reservation reasonably in advance, the timings for preparation of first
reservation charts have been revised as under:
● The reservation chart to be prepared preferably by 2100 hours of
the previous day for the trains with scheduled departure time
between 0500 hours and 1400 hours.
● The reservation chart to be prepared preferably 8 hours in
advance for the trains with scheduled departure time between
1400 hours and 0500 hours.
This step has brought more certainty in planning the trip. Passengers who
come from distant areas to catch trains also get more time under this new
arrangement.
*****