Every day, crores of passengers travel by Indian Railways to reach their destination, but sometimes due to sudden emergency or long queues at the station, passengers do not get time to get confirmed or normal unreserved tickets. In such a hurry, many people buy platform tickets and board the train directly, but after this the biggest fear in their mind remains about heavy fines or legal action. Can one legally travel in a moving train on the basis of platform ticket? The answer is 'Yes', provided you have correct and complete knowledge of the special commercial rules of Indian Railways. If you are boarding the train with a platform ticket and want to avoid TTE penalty, then this rule of Railways can prove to be a lifesaver for you. What is the railway rule for train travel using platform ticket? Know the role of guard and TTE. Under the commercial rules of the Indian Railways Act, if a passenger has a valid platform ticket, he has the right to board the train in case of emergency. However, the platform ticket alone is not the full fare for your journey. According to the rules, immediately after boarding the train, it is the moral and legal responsibility of the passenger to personally contact the TTE (Travelling Ticket Examiner) present in the train. You will have to go to the TTE and tell that you could not buy the destination ticket from the station due to some emergency and you have a platform ticket. TTE will accept your platform ticket as an entry proof. After this, TTE will collect the prescribed fare from the station (from where you boarded) to your destination station and minimum penalty fee as per rules and issue you a 'Guard Certificate' or a new receipt ticket from the Hand Held Terminal (HHT). With this you can continue your journey without any fear. किस श्रेणी में मिलेगी सीट और कैसे तय होगा किराया? Passengers boarding the train with a platform ticket must keep in mind that they cannot directly claim a reserved seat. TTE will first allow you to travel in Unreserved (General) coach. If there are vacant seats available in Sleeper or AC class of the concerned train, TTE can also allot you a confirmed seat by charging the fare difference. Here the fare will be calculated from the station from where you purchased the platform ticket. Platform ticket is considered to be a strong legal proof that the passenger has boarded the train from the same station. If you do not have a platform ticket, then as per railway rules, the maximum fare and penalty can be charged from you from the originating station of the train to the point of arrest. Ignoring this rule of Railways can prove costly: Know when you can face jail. Although platform ticketing provides relief, not using it at the right time can land you in big trouble. If you do not approach the TTE yourself after boarding the train and are caught during checking, you will be considered as 'Without Ticket Passenger'. In such cases, Railways charges heavy penalty under Section 138. If a passenger refuses to pay the penalty or does not have the money, a legal case can be registered under Section 137 of the Railways Act, which carries a punishment of up to 3 months in jail or fine or both. Therefore, whenever you board a train with the help of a platform ticket in an emergency, immediately inform the TTE and get your valid ticket made.
