Indian Railways adds coaches and upgrades booking systems for festive season
Indian Railways is taking major steps to tackle heavy passenger waiting lists and manage high traffic volumes during major festivals like Diwali, Chhath, and Raksha Bandhan. The national carrier is rolling out a comprehensive plan that includes capacity expansions, cutting-edge artificial intelligence upgrades for the reservation system, and temporary operational adjustments to streamline travel. Travellers can expect significant relief as the railway network prepares for the upcoming seasonal rush.
The national transporter is increasing the capacity of mail and express trains by adding two additional coaches, moving from 22 to 24 coaches per train. This capacity enhancement will accommodate approximately 160 additional passengers per train, which will drastically reduce wait times in sleeper and AC third-class compartments. Railway officials highlight that waiting lists previously reaching 100 to 150 are projected to drop to just 20 to 25. This rollout begins in the North Eastern Railway division before scaling nationwide, prioritizing routes with year-round high occupancy.
AI-Powered Upgrades for Passenger Reservation System
To resolve long-term booking demands, Indian Railways will launch an AI-powered Passenger Reservation System (PRS) in August 2026. This advanced platform will boost booking capacity from 32,000 tickets per minute to over 1.5 lakh tickets per minute. Additionally, the system will feature AI-based waitlist predictions with accuracy improving from 53% to 94%, bringing immense transparency for passengers planning their journeys.
Current Route Pressures and Schedule Adjustments
Several key routes, especially between Delhi and Mumbai, currently show 'no room' or 'regret' status for travel dates up to August 27. To manage immediate pressure and facilitate essential infrastructure work, temporary schedule changes are in effect. Due to yard remodeling, six pairs of express trains will have adjusted schedules between August 25 and October 20 due to work at Puri station. Furthermore, 17 trains including Rajdhani and Neelachal Express will face delays between August 25 and 30 due to ongoing engineering works at Jaleshwar station.
To support stranded travellers, festival special trains will operate from August 25 to 31, linking Subedarganj to New Delhi, and Hazrat Nizamuddin to Jabalpur and Kota. Railway Board Executive Director Dilip Kumar noted that these measures follow detailed analyses of waiting list confirmation trends, while CPRO Dr. Shivam Sharma emphasized that festival specials remain vital for easing seasonal surges.