While the railways will save on the printing cost, the private parties will recover their investment by selling advertisement space on the forms. To ensure that the advertisements have a retention value, the printing parties may be allowed to use the forms for lucky draws. The modalities have been worked out, and talks are on with interested parties. Final agreements are likely to be concluded by May, sources said.

Nearly 17.5 million requisition forms are handed out free to potential passengers in West Bengal alone every year. The entire cost is borne by the Railways.Under the new arrangement, prospective passengers will continue to get the forms free, but the railways will not bear the cost.

The officials said the outsourcing of requisition forms follows from Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to look for unconventional sources of revenue.

"We have been toying with this idea for a long time," an official said. "Eight years ago, we did it in Patna on an experimental basis." He said the Railways is now trying to minimise expenses without hurting passengers.