IRCTC Gradual Restart of Passenger Train Ticket Booking Opens Online 11th May 2025 at 4 pm
Railways to resume passenger train services from tomorrow; Booking of tickets opens online at 4 pm today
Indian Railways has announced gradual restart of passenger train services from tomorrow. Initially 15 pairs of trains will ply with passengers onboard. These trains will be run as special trains from New Delhi Station connecting Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi. Booking for reservation in these trains will start at 4 pm today and will be available only on the IRCTC website.
Ticket booking counters at the railway stations shall remain closed and counter tickets will not be issued. Only passengers with valid confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter the railway stations. Passengers will have to wear face cover and undergo screening at departure and only asymptomatic passengers will be allowed to board the train. Railways will start more special services on new routes. 20 thousand coaches have been reserved as COVID-19 care centres and adequate number of coaches are also kept reserved to enable operation of up to 300 trains everyday as Shramik Special for stranded migrants.
You’re referring to a major policy shift from 2020, during which Indian Railways gradually restarted passenger train services amid COVID-19 restrictions—here’s what really happened:
- Passenger train operations resumed in phases from May 12, 2025
- Ticket bookings opened online at 4 PM on May 11, 2025, exclusively via IRCTC. No tickets were allowed through counters or agents
- These trains were special services—fully AC, few stoppages, and Rajdhani-level fares—designed for essential travel amid strict health protocols.
Not Applicable to 2025
Currently, there is no such initiative in 2025 involving the restart of bookings starting May 11 at 4 PM. The 2020 scenario was specific to pandemic-era operations and does not reflect current IRCTC procedures.
What’s New in 2025?
- Passenger Reservation System (PRS) Upgrade: IRCTC is rolling out a modern PRS platform offering faster bookings, multilingual support, OTP-based Tatkal, and earlier chart preparation.
- Tatkal Reform: From July 1, 2025, Tatkal bookings will require Aadhaar-linked OTP authentication, and agents will face booking restrictions in the first 30 minutes.
- Waitlist Rules: With effect from May 1, 2025, passengers holding waitlisted tickets are no longer allowed entry into Sleeper or AC classes and must travel in unreserved compartments instead.
Summary Table
| Scenario | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Gradual restart & bookings open | 11 May 2025 (4 PM) | Online-only, special trains resuming service |
| Current IRCTC strategy | 2025 | No similar phased restart in effect |
| Modernization & Booking Reforms | Ongoing | PRS overhaul, Tatkal OTP, waitlist policy |
Let me know if you’d like help understanding current booking rules, navigating the new PRS interface, or anything else related to travel today!