Patna: Railway passengers travelling from Patna Junction, Danapur and other major stations in Bihar may soon be able to book tickets in nearly half the current time. East Central Railway has begun trials of a new ticketing system that is expected to reduce booking time at counters from 13–15 seconds to just 6–7 seconds.
The initiative is part of a broader modernisation of Indian Railways’ ticketing network aimed at improving efficiency and handling growing passenger demand.
Patna, Danapur Among First Stations to Get Upgraded Systems
East Central Railway has issued instructions to all five divisions under its jurisdiction to upgrade computer systems installed at unreserved ticket counters.
As part of the trial, selected systems at Patna Junction and Danapur stations have already been upgraded. Railway officials expect the new technology to speed up transactions and reduce congestion at ticket counters during peak hours.
Booking Time Expected to Fall by Nearly 50%
Currently, booking a single ticket at many stations in the Danapur Division takes between 13 and 15 seconds because of heavy passenger traffic and system load.
Under the upgraded platform, the process is expected to take only six to seven seconds, allowing ticket counters to serve more passengers in less time.
Railway officials said the existing reservation system was first introduced in 1986. Although it has undergone periodic upgrades, rising ticket demand and increasing digital usage have prompted a major technological overhaul.
Most Railway Tickets Now Booked Digitally
Indian Railways introduced internet-based ticket booking in 2002. According to railway data, nearly 88% of all tickets, including reserved, unreserved and platform tickets, are now booked through digital channels.
At present, around 81% of railway tickets are booked through IRCTC, while reservation counters account for the remaining 19%.
AI to Bring Major Changes in Reservation System
Indian Railways is also preparing to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its reservation system.
One of the proposed changes would allow passengers purchasing tickets from reservation counters to travel using a mobile confirmation message, similar to the existing IRCTC e-ticket system. This could eventually reduce the need for printed tickets.
Railway officials believe the AI-powered system will make ticket booking faster, simpler and more reliable for passengers.
More Than Half of General Tickets Issued Through ATVMs
Patna Junction records an average of 25,000 to 30,000 general ticket bookings every day.
Of these, nearly 55% are generated through Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs), while about 45% are booked through ticket counters.
The AI-based reservation system is expected to be rolled out from August 2026, marking one of the biggest upgrades to the railway ticketing ecosystem in recent years.
