Indian Railways Set for Major Overhaul of Passenger Reservation System After 30 Years, Says CRIS Official

In an exclusive conversation with NewsStation Editor Siddharatha, Dilip Kumar Jain, Principal Project Engineer at the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), revealed that Indian Railways is set to roll out a completely modernised Passenger Reservation System (PRS) — the first major upgrade since its inception in 1995. The new system, expected to go live early next year, promises faster, smarter, and more secure ticketing operations.

Jain explained that the existing PRS, designed in 1995, is being given a “major facelift” to meet today’s technological demands. The modernised platform will be microservice-based and cloud-native, enabling a massive jump in booking capacity from 25,000 to 1.25 lakh tickets per minute and significantly improving enquiry response times. “We are ensuring that no passenger faces the ‘please try again’ message even during peak hours like 8 AM or 10 AM when advance or Tatkal bookings open,” he said.

Highlighting the technological transformation, Jain noted that the old system ran on OpenVMS, but the new architecture leverages modern cloud infrastructure for higher performance and zero downtime. The project also introduces real-time analytics across 3,300 Point-of-Sale terminals, a common payment gateway, and tighter integration with systems like the National Train Enquiry System, Complaint Management, and Railway Accounting platforms.

To tackle growing cyber threats, the revamped PRS includes robust cybersecurity measures — such as Aadhaar-enabled authentication for Tatkal bookings, advanced network security devices, and simplified but secure CAPTCHA systems. “Digitisation brings convenience, but also new risks. We’re strengthening every layer to ensure safe transactions,” Jain emphasised.

He also mentioned that the new system will seamlessly integrate with RailOne, Indian Railways’ unified digital interface for passengers, making ticket booking faster with Face ID login and minimal clicks.

“The PRS Modernisation Project is not just a software upgrade,” Jain said, “it’s a complete rethinking of how India books train tickets — smarter, faster, and future-ready.”