The Hindu Business Line : Rlys to increase passenger booking period to 90 days

New Delhi, Jan 17 In a move that could push up the passenger earnings of Indian Railways this fiscal by about a few hundred crores, Railways has decided to increase the advance reservation ticket booking period to 90 days starting February 1 against the present level of 60 days. In 2006-07, Railways is understood to have mopped up roughly about Rs 500 crore through such a move.

Simply put, people wanting to travel in key trains in the peak summer vacation rush season of May and June can book their tickets from Feb and March respectively. Thus, a significant level of the passenger earnings of summer rush of the next fiscal would be captured in the current financial year itself.

In the 60-day advanced reservation period regime, the passenger earnings till May end of the next fiscal are captured in any given fiscal ending March 31. However, in a three-month advanced reservation booking period regime, the earnings till June end of the next fiscal would also be captured in a given financial year.

Incidentally, last fiscal Indian Railways had taken the same step in the run up to the railway budget, which it later withdrew in July, bringing the advance booking period back to 60 days.

This year again, barring the day time express trains like Taj Express and Gomti Express, where lower time limits for advance bookings are in force, Railways has decided to increase the advanced reservation period to 90 days. There will also be no change in the case of 360 days limit for foreign tourists.