Railway_Booking_System.md

🚂 Railway Booking System

A robust, full-stack web application for searching, booking, and managing train tickets.
Built with Flask and MongoDB, this project features a modular architecture, real-time seat availability calculation, and automated e-ticket generation.

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🌟 Key Features

👤 User & Profile Management

• Secure Authentication: User registration and login with password hashing
• Profile Management: Update personal details and manage saved passengers for faster bookings
• Booking History: View past and upcoming journeys with status updates

🚆 Train Search & Booking

• Smart Search: Filter trains by source, destination, and departure time (Morning, Afternoon, Evening)
• Real-time Availability: Dynamic calculation of Confirmed, RAC, and Waitlisted seats using MongoDB aggregation pipelines
• Seat Allocation: Automated logic for assigning seat numbers and berths based on class and preference
• Waitlist Logic: Automatically handles Confirmed vs. RAC vs. Waitlist status based on capacity

🎫 Ticketing System

• PDF Generation: Instantly download professional PDF tickets with unique PNRs
• QR Code Integration: Embedded QR codes on tickets for easy validation
• Email Notifications: Booking confirmations sent directly to the user's email via SMTP
• PNR Status: Publicly accessible PNR status checker

🛠 Admin Dashboard

• Manage Trains: Add new trains, routes, and schedules
• Booking Overview: View all bookings across the system with search functionality
• Route Visualization: View detailed route stops and timings

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💻 Tech Stack

Backend

• Python
• Flask (Blueprints, Application Factory Pattern)

Database

• MongoDB (MongoEngine ODM)

Frontend

• Jinja2 Templates
• Bootstrap 5
• CSS3

Utilities

• FPDF (PDF Generation)
• QRCode (Ticket Validation)
• Flask-Mail (Email Services)
• Flask-WTF (Form Handling & CSRF Protection)

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🚀 Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+
• MongoDB (Local or Atlas)
• Gmail Account (for email notifications – App Password required)

Steps

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/railway-booking-system.git
cd railway-booking-system

Create Virtual Environment

python -m venv venv
# Windows
venv\Scripts\activate
# Mac/Linux
source venv/bin/activate

Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Environment Configuration

Create a .env file in the root directory:

SECRET_KEY=your_secure_secret_key
MONGODB_URI=mongodb+srv://<user>:<password>@cluster.mongodb.net/railway_db
EMAIL_USER=your_email@gmail.com
EMAIL_PASS=your_app_password

Initialize Database

Run the script to populate the database with sample trains and users:

python init_db.py

Run the Application

python app.py

Visit: http://127.0.0.1:5000

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📂 Project Structure

railway-booking-system/
├── app.py                  # Entry point
├── config.py               # App configuration
├── init_db.py              # Database seeder script
├── models.py               # Database schemas (User, Train, Booking)
├── requirements.txt        # Dependencies
└── railway_app/            # Main Application Package
    ├── __init__.py         # App factory & extension init
    ├── utils.py            # Helper functions (PDF, Email, Logic)
    ├── routes/             # Blueprints
    │   ├── admin.py
    │   ├── auth.py
    │   ├── booking.py
    │   └── main.py
    ├── static/             # CSS, Images
    └── templates/          # HTML Templates

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🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome!
Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the project
2. Create your feature branch

   git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature

3. Commit your changes

   git commit -m "Add some AmazingFeature"

4. Push to the branch

   git push origin feature/AmazingFeature

5. Open a Pull Request

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📜 License

Distributed under the MIT License.
See LICENSE for more information.