Rail crisis: Modi urges Indians to travel by train but 3.39 cr passengers unable to get tickets

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been urging citizens to prefer train travel, more than 3.39 crore railway passengers were unable to travel in 2025–26 after their waitlisted tickets remained unconfirmed and were automatically cancelled, according to data provided by the Ministry of Railways under the RTI (Right to Information) Act.

The figures, disclosed in response to an RTI query filed by Bhopal-based activist Chandrasekhar Gaur, point to mounting pressure on the country’s rail network and continuing shortages of confirmed berths on high-demand routes.

According to the Railway Ministry’s reply, around 2.19 crore PNRs (Passenger Name Records) were automatically cancelled during 2025–26 after tickets failed to get confirmed before reservation charts were prepared. These cancellations affected more than 3.39 crore passengers, especially those holding online waitlisted tickets.

The ministry’s class-wise data showed that the highest number of automatic cancellations involved passengers travelling in Sleeper Class and AC 3-tier (3AC).

Nearly 74.55 lakh passengers booked under the 3AC category were unable to travel because their tickets remained unconfirmed, while the highest number of cancellations occurred in Sleeper Class, where more than 1.05 crore PNRs were automatically cancelled.

The ministry also stated that 2.78 lakh PNRs were cancelled in First AC (1AC), affecting around 3.85 lakh passengers, while 16.41 lakh PNRs under Second AC (2AC) were cancelled, impacting nearly 24.21 lakh passengers.

The figures indicate a steady rise in the number of passengers unable to travel because of unconfirmed waitlisted tickets over the past five years:

• 1.65 crore passengers in 2021–22

• 2.72 crore in 2022–23

• 2.96 crore in 2023–24

• 3.27 crore in 2024–25

• 3.39 crore in 2025–26

Commenting on the data, Gaur said the figures reflected a serious shortage of trains and confirmed berths on major routes.

“It is a matter of serious concern that even after 78 years of Independence, the Railways has not been able to ensure confirmed tickets for passengers, especially in sleeper classes,” he said.

He added that the rising cancellations highlighted the urgent need to expand train capacity and increase services on heavily used routes across the country.