The Indian Railways is gearing up for a digital leap with a major upgrade of its Passenger Reservation System (PRS). Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha that the new system will be over four times faster, significantly improving ticketing services for millions of passengers.
PRS Upgrade for Faster Bookings
Currently, the PRS handles 25,000 ticket bookings per minute. With the upgrade, this capacity will rise fourfold, ensuring smoother experiences during peak booking hours. The Rs 182 crore project will involve replacing outdated hardware and software with advanced technology, along with new network equipment, security systems, and enhanced functionalities.
According to Vaishnaw, this is part of a long-term modernization plan to bring scalability, security, and efficiency to railway services. Once complete, the new PRS is expected to handle over 1 lakh ticket bookings per minute, reducing transaction failures and making services more reliable.
RailOne App Brings PRS to Passengers’ Palms
Alongside the PRS upgrade, Indian Railways has also launched the RailOne App, aimed at simplifying ticketing further. The app enables passengers to book both reserved and unreserved tickets directly from their smartphones, eliminating the need to visit counters or switch between multiple platforms.
“This, in effect, brings the PRS facility to the passengers’ palms,” Vaishnaw noted. The RailOne App is designed with a user-friendly interface, ensuring that even first-time users can book tickets effortlessly.
Why This Matters
The Pune–Mumbai corridor alone sees over 2 lakh passengers daily, and similar congestion is common across India. A faster, more robust PRS combined with mobile ticketing solutions will make railway travel more convenient, reduce long queues at counters, and increase overall passenger satisfaction.
With this dual push—tech-driven PRS upgrade and mobile-first ticketing via RailOne—Indian Railways is signaling a strong commitment to digital transformation and smoother passenger experiences.
