Train Chart Preparation Time is Now 10 Hours Before Departure

Indian Railways is constantly taking actions that benefit passengers booking tickets either via Tatkal or General ticket booking. In a recent action, Railways has announced that it has shifted Train chart preparation time to 10 hours before the time of the departure.

Under a revised instruction from the Railway Board, the first reservation chart for trains will be prepared much earlier than before. In practical terms, passengers will now be able to know whether their ticket is confirmed or not up to 10 hours before the train departs.

It’s a small shift on paper. On platforms and the journey of passengers, it changes a lot.

How Train Chart Preparation Worked Until Now

Earlier, the first reservation chart was usually prepared about four hours before departure. In July 2025, Railways made an upgrade where the train chart preparation time was shifted to 8 hours before the time of the departure. Now it has been shifted to 10 hours before the time of train departure.

Earlier, people travelled overnight just to board a train they weren’t sure they could board. Families reached stations with luggage and children, still checking WL numbers. Elderly passengers waited on benches, hoping someone else would cancel.

Railway staff admit this was one of the most common passenger complaints — especially on long-distance routes.

What’s Different From Now On

The chart will now be prepared earlier, depending on the train’s departure time. For trains leaving between 5 am and 2 pm, the first chart will be prepared by 8 pm on the previous day.

For trains leaving between 2:01 pm and midnight, and also those leaving between midnight and 5 am, the chart will be prepared 10 hours before departure.

In simple terms, most passengers will know the status of their ticket the night before or well before they leave home. You can use RailMitra’s PNR Status service to check your booking status in real time. 

Why Passengers Care So Much About Train Chart

Anyone who has travelled by train regularly knows the real issue isn’t just confirmation. It’s planning. Many passengers don’t live close to their boarding station. Some come from villages, some from smaller towns, some change buses twice just to reach the platform.

Earlier, they made that entire effort without knowing if the journey would even happen. Now, if a ticket stays unconfirmed after the chart is prepared, passengers can cancel early, look for another train, or make different arrangements altogether. That alone saves money, time, and physical effort.

If you are looking for alternative trains on the journey, you should check RailMitra’s train schedule service. This service lets you check the train timings of all the trains along with halt stations, timings, arrival and departure timings.  

WL and RAC Travellers Finally Get Clarity

Waiting List and RAC passengers stand to gain the most. Earlier, many WL passengers still showed up at stations hoping for last-minute changes. Most of the time, nothing changed — but by then, options were already limited.

With the train chart coming out earlier, passengers now have breathing room. They can decide not to travel, instead of being forced into last-minute decisions at crowded stations. Railway officials say this was one of the main reasons behind the change.

What Passengers Should Still Remember about Train Chart

This change applies to the first chart. Cancellations can still happen later, and in rare cases, seat availability may change closer to departure. But the long stretch of uncertainty the part that caused the most stress is now shorter.

Passengers can check their updated ticket status once the chart is prepared through PNR enquiry on RailMitra or official railway platforms.

A Change That Feels Personal

Ask regular train travellers what bothers them most, and many won’t mention speed or food. They’ll talk about waiting. About not knowing.

Knowing your ticket status 10 hours earlier doesn’t solve everything. But it gives people time and time is what most passengers were missing.

For once, this is a railway rule that feels like it was written with real passengers in mind.