Time Limit for Advance Reservations

Thank you for correcting narendra. Previous post modified.

Yes, it is a very good thing,when we were in Mumbai I use to book tickets 3 months in advance to my place if not tickets will not be available.lt is very helpful for me.Now the new rule of tatkal is also very nice.

http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/rai...3/CC_34_13.pdf

Advance Reservation Period for Booking Reserved Train Tickets Reduced to 60 Days from Existing 120 Days from 1st May 2013
The Ministry of Railways has decided that the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) for booking reserved train tickets will be reduced from existing 120 days to 60 days (excluding the date of journey) w.e.f. 1st May 2013. The details are as below:-
I. With effect from 01.05.2013, the ARP will be of 60 days (excluding the day of journey) and booking will be done accordingly. However, all the bookings done upto 30.4.2013 under the ARP of 120 days will remain intact.
II. Cancellation of the booking made beyond the ARP of 60 days will, however, be permitted.
III. There will be no change in the case of certain day time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express etc. where lower time limits for advance reservations are at present in force.
IV. There will also be no change in the case of limit of 360 days for foreign tourists.

So it will be quite possible that trains departing in August could be fully booked before booking opens in June. No doubt there will be a frantic scramble for tickets over the next 5 days.

not good at all

Any reason given?

Will it be changed back just before the rail budget?

Hasn't that been and gone?

I do wonder if somebody is going to point out the effect on IR's Cash Flow of having a major reduction in advance ticket sales for 2 months.

None, but it works very well when the APR is increased just before the budget.

Steven

Are you sure that it will have no effect on Cash Flow? The old system would have allowed sales for July/August/September to be banked in May. Now they will only have advance sales for 60 days rather than 120.

Now for reasons perhaps related to agents the advance period is limited to 60 days..

i am planning a short journey, and there are about 6 trains going that way, some dailies, some on specific days.

the journey itself is in end-of-May, about a month away, and i cannot find a single confiremd reservation, and most waitlists are in high hundreds.

i smell fish.

From 1st may 2013, tickets can be booked 60 days in advance only. However for foreign tourists this period is 360 days

Today's The Hindu newspaper clearly mentions that the ARP was increased primarily to improve cash flows and now that the situation is better after increase in fare and imposition of a fuel surcharge, they have decided to revert back to 60 days.

This shortening of ARP may benefit those travelers (like @adam00121) who plan their travel late.
I have seen plenty of ticket holders cancelling tickets in last moments... And many of them might not be genuine passenger, I believe!

BTW, I didn't understand the logic of IR's Cash Flow. If ticket holders cancel their tickets, IR would receive more money (towards cancellation charges). They do have always surplus unutilized amount lying in their accounts which they receive from advance booking.

Situation had become really bad after ARP of 120 days had begun; Chennai Kolkata and Chennai Delhi were sold out within a day of ARP; these tickets could earlier be bought 45 to 30 days before journey date. The management must have realized their folly out of their own experiences and are now trying to investigate the reason for the failure of earlier ARP which was supposed to help the passengers in some way!