While the passenger reservation system (PRS) would be Y2K compliant by the end of September, most of the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems of the Indian Railways, used for automatic distribution of power to run trains, are not yet compliant. Y2K is a computer anamoly that would make many systems unable to recognise the year 2000 during computerised operations and instead read it as the year 1900.

Railways has already taken steps to make the PRS, which handles about six lakh reservations per day through 500 centres, Y2K compliant by September end.

The first reservation for 2000 would be done 60 days before its arrival on November 2, an official release said. Though only six out of the total 42 SCADA systems installed by the Railways are Y2K compliant, running of trains would not be affected as the railwayswill man all major such installations starting December 30 and would switch over to manual management in case of failure.