Mr Jha shared that the issue was eventually resolved. (Representational)
A man travelling from New Delhi to Darbhanga for Chhath Puja has raised concerns about the reservation system on the Indian Railways after his waiting list status on the Swatantrata Senani Express ticket increased unexpectedly. Himanshu Jha, a journalist, booked a ticket well in advance, initially facing a waiting list of 124. Over the following weeks, the list gradually decreased, reaching 31 by September 30. Mr Jha's waiting list status had improved to 12 by November 2, but when the final reservation chart was released, it unexpectedly went up to 18.
Mr Jha, frustrated by the lack of clarity expressed his dissatisfaction through a posted on X. He wrote, "What is going on in the railways? On October 30, the ticket RAC was 31. Yesterday it was stuck at RAC 12. When the chart was prepared today, the waiting became 18. What kind of reservation system is this?"
Directing his question to the Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Mr Jha added, "Will you understand what will happen if a Bihari is not able to go home on the occasion of Chhath?"
Mr Jha also shared a series of screenshots, showing the progress of his ticket status, which began at a waiting list of 124 and dropped to 31 and then to 12, but finally went up to 18.
Responding to Mr Jha's post, the official X handle of RailwaySeva wrote, “The concerned authorities are being informed.”
In a subsequent post, RailwaySeva stated, “Your complaint has been registered on RailMadad and complaint no. has been sent to your mobile number via SMS. You can track your complaint through this link.”
In a follow-up post on X, Mr Jha shared that railway officials reached out to him, advising him to be prepared for the journey. He also thanked Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. His post read, “I have been contacted by the railways. I have been asked to be ready for tomorrow's journey. If this happens, then thanks to @AshwiniVaishnaw ji.”
In his final update, Mr Jha shared that the issue was resolved. He wrote, “Thanks to Indian Railways and Railway Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw. The railways have arranged for a confirmed ticket for today. Friends, special thanks to all of you for your support.”
The Indian Railways has implemented a new rule reducing the advance reservation period (ARP) for train tickets from 120 days to 60 days, effective from November 1. This change aims to curb the "no-show" trend, where a significant number of reserved tickets were either cancelled or went unused. The new rule is aimed to prevent passengers from booking tickets three months in advance but will not affect existing bookings. The change is designed to promote genuine travel bookings and improve planning for special trains during peak seasons. The 365-day ARP for foreign tourists remains unchanged.