The Evolution of Train Ticketing: From Physical Counters to Digital Platforms

For most millennials, their school summer break meant travelling by train to their grandparents. Much before aeroplanes took over the skies, travel was synonymous with trains. Travelling by train was indeed a much sought-after experience. While a large population today prefers air travel, there are many who use trains for most of their travelling. Did you know that, on average, about 23 million people travel by train every day? 

For the majority of people, the charm of train travel remains the same. However, Indian Railways have come a long way, and so has the ticketing system. Once considered an ordeal, train ticket booking involved going to the railway station and standing in long queues for hours. Thankfully, today, booking tickets online has made things simpler and far more convenient. Let us dive into the history of Indian train booking and see how it has evolved over time.

The Evolution of Train Ticketing

It was about 165 years ago that Indian Railways started its operations. In the beginning, a train travelling between two points had only a set of reserved seats. A ledger was maintained for each train, with a separate record for each journey. If there were enough berths, the booking clerk would book the tickets as per the passengers’ requirements. The clerk would enter the details manually on the ledger and issue a card or paper ticket that had the traveller’s details. 

With time, the ticketing system underwent some changes. However, the booking of tickets was quite an ordeal. People had to come to specific railway stations that had ticket booking counters. People had to spend hours standing in long queues waiting for their turn to buy tickets from the ticket window. And to make matters worse, even standing in the queue for hours was no assurance of a confirmed ticket. Many failed to acquire tickets due to non-availability in case of emergency. The common telephone helpline was often a long wait, too. People had to spend a lot of time to get through and enquire about the train/ booking status or any kind of inquiry. 

1986, however, brought nothing less than a revolution in the way tickets were booked. During this time, the project of computerised tickets was started for the first time in the national capital, New Delhi. Today, the Indian Railways PRS, Passenger Reservation System is the biggest network across the globe. There are over 8074 ticket counters across the country at more than 2022 stations. 

The advent of the IRCTC, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, gave travellers easy and hassle-free access to book their tickets online. Founded in 2002, the IRCTC is a subsidiary of the Indian Railways. The online portal manages online ticket booking along with catering and other tourism operations. 

The I-Ticket experiment began around this time. Passengers had the option of booking their tickets online through the IRCTC portal. The IRCTC then sent the tickets to the passengers’ addresses through courier.  2005, however, witnessed e-tickets, and the digitised ticket booking continues still. 

Did you know that every day, the IRCTC facilitates over 5 lakh bookings? It is reported that the digital portal can book over 15,000 tickets in a minute. If you are planning to travel sometime soon, you can enjoy an easy train ticket booking process via Redrail.  If your tickets are already booked, you can check your PNR status in a few simple steps. 

Why redRail?

After its huge success in the bus industry redBus, India’s largest online bus ticketing platform, has introduced redRail to achieve the same in the rail industry. The redRail platform provides a seamless and convenient experience for all your train booking needs. Its extremely simple interface makes the company stand out in today’s competitive landscape.

Being an authorised IRCTC ticket booking platform, you can rest assured that your train tickets can be booked safely. Take a look at the various features that you can expect when you book tickets through redRail:

• Real-time Checks
  If you have a train ticket on the waitlist, you have the option of checking your PNR status, no matter where it was booked. You simply need to enter your PNR number on the portal, and in no time, you will be able to check the status.
• Predict the Confirmation
  A great feature offered by the portal is the prediction of the confirmation probability of your seats. On a daily basis, you can get real-time updates and add more value to your travel.
• Easy Travel Solutions
  In case you realise that the chances of getting a confirmation are less, the app will show you available seats within the same train’s schedule.
• Efficient and Proactive Customer Care
  For all your queries, no matter the time of day, you can get in touch with the customer care representative.
• Simplified Refunds
  You will be able to initiate an instant refund through your UPI id.

For all your train ticket booking-related requirements and queries, download the redRail app today. Enjoy streamlined booking and confirmation procedures, and look forward to a wonderful journey.

Let’s Wrap It Up

It was on 16th April 1853 that India’s first train completed a historic journey between BoriBandar and Thane with about 400 passengers onboard. Since then, the India Railways has come a long way. Over the past several years, the railway network has witnessed numerous changes and has transformed itself continuously to cater to the changing needs of the present-day traveller.