No More Long Waitlists: Railways’ New Rule Could Change Your Travel Plans!
If you’ve ever tried booking a train ticket and ended up at WL 95, there’s good news things are about to change. Indian Railways has just rolled out a big change, one that could actually help you travel more peacefully, but you’ll need to act quicker than before.
From now on, there’s a strict limit on how many waiting list tickets can be issued, only 25 percent more than the general quota. After that the system flashes “No Room.” You understand how annoying it is if you’ve ever seen that message scroll in front of you.
New Rule in Action: Fewer Waiting, Less Chaos
This isn’t just a test thing. It’s now live across India, including places like Dhanbad. Whether you’re choosing Sleeper, 3rd AC, or 2nd AC, the rule remains unchanged.
For instance, in a Sleeper coach with 20 seats, only about 5 additional passengers can join the waiting list.
If 3rd AC has 10 general seats, expect only 3-4 WL tickets.
For 2nd AC, with 8 seats, you’ll see maybe 2-3 WL slots before that scary “No Room” pops up.
It’s not meant to annoy you. It’s to stop overcrowding, where WL passengers often end up squeezing into already-packed coaches.
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Already Happening: Big Trains, No Room
Trains such as the Mumbai–Pune Intercity Express, Chennai–Bengaluru Shatabdi, and even high-demand ones like the Mumbai–Delhi Rajdhani, Garib Rath, and Netravati Express are already displaying “No Room” status for June travel dates. Even shorter stations are affected. So, it’s real and it’s happening fast.
Even Tatkal’s Not Spared
This 25% cap extends to Tatkal tickets as well, so if you’re planning something last-minute, you’d better be quick. The only breather: it doesn’t apply to concession or warrant bookings. That’s at least a small comfort.
Found “No Room”? Here’s a Travel Hack
Assume that you want to travel from Pune to Nagpur but no direct trains are available. Instead, try reserving a seat up to Gondia. It might cost you a bit more, say ₹2320 instead of ₹1985 but at least you’ve secured a spot on the train.
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Bottom Line
This regulation might seem strict at the beginning, but it’s simply so the travel experience for everyone becomes a bit more equitable and not a pain. So the next time you’re planning that next getaway, don’t take so long to purchase that ticket. Once that 25% is gone, everything changes and not in a good way.
