Tickets for popular routes nearly full for weekend before Christmas
The Railways had brought in new regulations for ticket booking, including mandatory Aadhaar authentication for online bookings from July.
Representative Image
CHENNAI: Advance reservation for trains began for Christmas, and the tickets were sold like hotcakes for the in-demand routes. Unlike the usual festival season when tickets for most trains are fully waitlisted within minutes, this time, the tickets of a few trains were available from December 19 (Friday), the weekend before December 25 (Thursday), in less sought-after trains. Currently, the tickets are open till December 22.
In the Chennai to Nagercoil route, one of the most-demanded in Tamil Nadu, train no. 12631 Nellai Superfast Express from Chennai Egmore to Tirunelveli was in waiting list 68 for sleeper and AC coaches for December 19. Train no. 12633 Kanniyakumari Express also faced a similar scenario.
From Chennai to Kerala, popular trains like train no. 12623 Trivandrum Chennai Superfast mail, the tickets were waitlisted for sleeper class at 122, third AC at 60, and second AC at 29 for December 19. Similar was the case with the Trivandrum mail and the Anantapuri Express.
Sleeper tickets were sold, and AC coaches were left with a few tickets on train no. 12661, Pothigai Superfast Express (Chennai to Madurai) and train no. 12693 Pearl City Superfast Express.
For trains to Bengaluru and New Delhi from Chennai, tickets are available for December 19 for most Express trains and Vande Bharat trains.
The Railways had brought in new regulations for ticket booking, including mandatory Aadhaar authentication for online bookings from July.
Former Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC) member Abdul Hameed said the new rules have eased ticket booking for passengers and welcomed the move.
The first reservation chart is now issued eight hours before departure, and waiting list caps for non-AC coaches have been revised to 30 per cent.
A senior Southern Railway official said, "The regulations made on the booking for the agents have made it easier for the common people to book and increased the availability of the tickets. The changes in the rules have definitely had an impact on better ticket availability, and only authenticated people are allowed."
