The Ministry of Railways has decided to increase the reservation period for train tickets from the existing 90 days to 120. 

On Saturday, reservation will open for all trains starting from July 8. Railway officials also said that there would not be any bulk booking on Saturday. 

It is expected that the four-month advance reservation period will help the commuters who travel during festivals or summer vacation period. To ensure transparency in the Tatkal booking period, recently the railway has reduced the Tatkal booking period from 48 hours to 24 hours to prevent misuse of the facility. 

V J Accamma, chief public relations officer of Southern Railway, said the new system would help travellers buy tickets without depending on travel agents. "Many people have been depending on travel agents and paying extra money for tickets for scheduled journeys like summer vacations. This new system will help them ensure they get the tickets without depending on any such agents," she added.