Railway Ministry enhances passengers waiting list cap from 25 to 60 per cent for AC classes

New Delhi | The Railway Ministry has enhanced the limit on passengers' waiting list from 25 per cent to 60 per cent for all AC classes and 30 per cent for non-AC classes by a fresh order issued on Saturday.

The order to cap the waiting list of passengers of all classes at 25 per cent was originally issued on April 17 to all zones as well as the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS).

The CRIS amended the reservation system and implemented it from June 16.

"Just 12 days after implementing the order to cap all waiting list at 25 per cent of the total seats/berths of travelling classes, the ministry realised its mistake and almost reversed its decision," said a senior ministry official requesting anonymity.

"The matter has been reviewed and in super cession of the earlier instruction dated 17.04.2025 it has been decided that the maximum current waiting list limits will be revised to 60 per cent and 30 per cent of the redefined capacity of each class available at originating as well as roadside stations for air-conditioned and non air-conditioned classes respectively," said the circular issued by the Railway Ministry on Saturday.

"This logic will also be applicable for issuing of waitlisted tickets from remote locations as well as tickets booked under Tatkal scheme," it added.

The new circular stated that this waiting list limit shall, however, not be applicable to the tickets issued on concessional fares, warrants etc.

"To enable issuing of waiting list tickets from the remote locations having zero defined berths, some waiting list limit shall be pre-defined based on demand pattern," it said.

PTI had earlier reported that the ministry's decision to limit the passenger waiting list to 25 per cent of the capacity of each class was flagged by the reservation supervisors, ticket booking clerks and some senior commercial officers as uneconomical for the railways and inconvenient for passengers.

The withdrawal order, released on Saturday evening, asked all principal chief commercial managers to take note of the change and CRIS to make necessary changes in the reservation system.

According to the previous circular of 2013, the waiting list cap on berths/ seats of first AC/EC and 2 AC classes was 30 and 100 respectively.

Similarly, the first class, 3AC/Chair Car and sleeper class had 30, 300 and 400 waiting limits, respectively.

"It is good that the ministry has reviewed the April 17 circular as it was a wrong move and was hurting the interest of Railways as well as passengers. There is a need to enhance the cap on non-AC class as well," a senior railway official said.