Chennai: In a major relief to passengers amid the festive season, Indian Railways has allowed booking and cancellation of tickets till 5 minutes before departure of the train from today.
The pre-Covid system of preparing the second reservation chart 30 minutes before the departure of the train, which was not being followed for the last few months, has been restored by the railways.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, time of preparation of the second reservation chart was shifted to two hours before the scheduled time of train departure.
The first chart is prepared at least four hours before the scheduled departure of the train.
In a statement, the Railways said, ‘As per request of Zonal Railways for ensuring convenience of rail passengers, the matter has been examined and it has been decided that the second reservation chart shall be prepared at least 30 minutes before scheduled/rescheduled time of departure of train.’
Until the second reservation chart is prepared, passengers can book train tickets. Tickets can also be cancelled during this time, as per the provisions of the refund rules.
If seats become vacant owing to cancellation, they can be booked through PRS counters and online till the preparation of the second chart.