This initiative is designed to curb the misuse of digital tickets and enhance ticket verification during travel.
According to the updated rules, passengers must possess the same registered mobile phone used to book the ticket. Railway officials stated that the original ticket must be accessible in the Rail One app on this device for the entire journey.
What has changed?
Under the new guidelines, passengers holding digital unreserved tickets must present the original ticket in the Rail One app when requested by ticket-checking personnel.
The Railways has made it clear that the following will not be accepted during inspections:
- Screenshots of tickets
- Photographs of tickets
- PDF copies
- Tickets sent via WhatsApp or any other messaging platform
Officials noted that tickets must be accessible on the registered mobile number and device used for their creation.
Ticket must be booked before departure
Indian Railways has also emphasized that digital unreserved tickets must be purchased prior to the train’s departure from the originating station.
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Any ticket obtained after the train has departed will be deemed invalid, even if it appears in the Rail One app.
Railway Issues Advisory For Passengers
To minimize inconvenience, Indian Railways has advised passengers to:
- Carry the mobile phone used to reserve the ticket.
- Keep the phone adequately charged for the duration of the journey.
- Ensure the ticket is available in the Rail One app.
- Verify travel details, such as station name and travel date, before boarding.
- Avoid relying on screenshots or forwarded ticket copies.
Railway officials cautioned that failing to present the original digital ticket during checks or providing incorrect ticket details could lead to penalties.
Rules apply only to unreserved digital tickets
The Railways clarified that these updated guidelines are applicable solely to digital unreserved tickets booked through the Rail One app.
These instructions do not pertain to reserved tickets, where identity verification is conducted using government-issued identification during inspections.
Passenger fined over WhatsApp screenshot
The newly implemented guidelines followed a recent incident on Train No. 18517 Korba–Visakhapatnam Link Express, where a woman heading from Korba to Raipur was fined for presenting a WhatsApp screenshot of her ticket during a check.
The passenger informed the traveling ticket examiner (TTE) that her brother had booked the ticket using the Rail One app and had forwarded a screenshot via WhatsApp.
Upon verification, the TTE discovered that the ticket was generated at 4:45 pm, while the train had already departed Korba station at 4:10 pm. Officials also confirmed that the ticket was not accessible on the passenger’s registered mobile number.
Since the screenshot was not regarded as valid proof of travel, the passenger was penalized in accordance with railway regulations.
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