Indian Railways General Ticket Rule: Every day lakhs of passengers travel through Indian Railways on general tickets. For such passengers, the facility of booking tickets through mobile has proved to be very easy, but there is a mistake regarding digital ticket which can prove costly during the journey. Railways has made it clear that regarding mobile ticket, mere possession of the ticket is not enough, but the method of showing it should also be as per the rules.
What is the new clarification of Railways regarding mobile tickets?
According to Railways, unreserved or general tickets booked through RailOne app must be kept available during the journey in the same mobile phone which was used to book the ticket.
This means that if a passenger has booked a ticket from his mobile, then at the time of check-in he will have to show the ticket through the relevant app on the same phone. There may be difficulty in traveling by showing the copy of the ticket sent on any other mobile.
Why can ordering tickets on WhatsApp be expensive?
Many times a family member or friend books a ticket for another person from his mobile and then sends it through WhatsApp. This method may seem easy, but according to the rules laid down by the Railways, the digital ticket sent in such a situation does not automatically become valid.
Similarly, merely saving the screenshot of the ticket in your phone cannot be considered sufficient. During ticket verification, it may be necessary to present the relevant mobile phone and the digital ticket contained therein.
You will have to keep your phone with you after booking the ticket.
Passengers traveling by mobile ticket should keep the ticket booking phone with them during the journey. There may be difficulty in showing the ticket in case the phone is switched off or its battery runs out.
Therefore, before starting the journey, it would be better to keep sufficient battery in the mobile and check whether the ticket is available in the RailOne app or not.
Do not try to make a ticket after boarding the train
Railways has also clarified that the passenger should obtain a valid ticket before boarding the train. If you try to make a general ticket through mobile after the ticket checking staff has entered the train, it cannot be considered a valid ticket.
That is, boarding the train only in the hope that the ticket will be made through mobile later, can create problems for the passenger.
What should passengers with general tickets keep in mind?
Some precautions are very important for those traveling with unreserved tickets through mobile.
– Book tickets before starting the journey.
– Use your registered mobile to book tickets.
– Keep the ticket booking mobile with you during the journey.
– Show the digital ticket present in the app at the time of checking.
– Do not rely on a ticket received on WhatsApp from someone else.
– Do not consider screenshots alone as an alternative to tickets.
– Keep the mobile battery adequately charged before travelling.
Provision for fine for traveling without proper ticket
According to information related to Railways, the minimum fine for traveling without proper ticket or with irregular ticket has also been changed. Information has come to light that the minimum fine will be increased from ₹ 250 to ₹ 500 from June 19, 2026.
In such a situation, the most important thing for the passengers traveling in general coach is that the ticket should be booked properly before the commencement of the journey and in case of digital ticket, it should be kept available on the same mobile from which the ticket has been made.