Advance Reservation Period (ARP)

Source: This post on Advance Reservation Period (ARP) has been created based on the article “On Railways decision to shrink advance booking period” published in The hindu on 22nd October 2024.

Why in news?

Recently, Indian Railways has taken the significant step of shortening the Advance Reservation Period (ARP), reducing the window for booking tickets from four months (120 days) to two months (60 days). This change is set to take effect from November 1, 2024 reversing a policy that had been in place since May 1, 2008.

About Advance Reservation Period (ARP) by Indian Railways

1. The Advance Reservation Period (ARP) refers to the number of days in advance that a passenger can book a ticket before the date of departure for trains, flights, or other transportation services.

2. The purpose of ARP is to allow travellers to plan their journeys and secure seats or accommodation ahead of time.

Reasons for the Change

Railway officials cite several reasons for the decision to shorten the ARP:

i) High Cancellation Rates: One of the primary motivations behind this policy change is the high rate of ticket cancellations, which currently stands at around 21%. The long booking window allowed passengers to reserve tickets months in advance, often leading to a change in plans and subsequent cancellations. This practice disrupts the allocation of seats, causing inefficiency in seat utilization.

ii) No-Show Passengers: Another concern is that a percentage of passengers (about 4% to 5%) do not show up for their journeys, creating “no-show” situations, where the reserved seats remain vacant.

iii) Passenger Booking Trends: According to data, 88% to 90% of reservations happen within the 60-day period before travel. This observation helped justify reducing the ARP to 60 days as it aligns with actual passenger booking behaviour.

 How Longer ARPs Give Rise to Frauds

A longer ARP not only encourages cancellations but also creates opportunities for fraudulent activities, such as:

Impersonation and Seat Reselling: Fraudsters impersonate passengers or take advantage of empty berths when passengers don’t show up for their journeys. In some cases, railway officials may be involved in illegally reselling vacant seats for money.

Touting: Touts often block tickets in bulk during the long reservation window, leaving genuine passengers with fewer booking options. The shortening of the ARP is aimed at discouraging touts, as a shorter window reduces the chance of large-scale ticket blocking.

Impact on Foreign Tourists and Other Exemptions

The reduction of the ARP does not apply to foreign tourists, who have access to a special quota allowing them to plan their journeys across India well in advance.

Some trains, such as the Taj Express and Gomti Express, are also exempt from ARP rules.

Additionally, General Class tickets, which are typically purchased immediately before travel, remain unaffected by the ARP changes.

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