Indian Railways Digital Ticket Rules: Rejects Screenshots, PDF, WhatsApp Forwarded Copies

Indian Railways has issued a fresh advisory for passengers travelling with digital unreserved tickets, clarifying that only the original ticket displayed in the RailOne app on the registered mobile number will be accepted during ticket verification. The railway administration stressed that screenshots, photographs, PDF copies, or tickets forwarded on WhatsApp will not be considered valid proof of travel.

The clarification comes after a woman passenger travelling on Train Number 18517 Korba-Visakhapatnam Link Express was fined for showing an unreserved ticket forwarded to her by her brother on WhatsApp. According to the officials, the woman claimed that the ticket was booked via the RailOne app by her brother and later forwarded to her. However, during the ticket verification process, the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) noted that the unreserved ticket was issued at 4:45 pm, way after the train had departed from the boarding station at 4:10 pm. Following this, the officials declared the WhatsApp screenshot invalid under the current rules and fined the passenger.

The incident underscores the importance of passengers understanding the difference between a valid electronic ticket displayed on the Indian Railways-authorised app and copies that lack all required information.

Railway Advisory For Unreserved Digital Tickets

The new advisory for passengers booking unreserved digital tickets stresses the following points:
•Passengers have to show the original digital ticket on the mobile phone on which the RailOne app has been installed.
•Make sure to carry your mobile and registered mobile number with you during train travel.
•Digital unreserved tickets must be booked before the train departs from the boarding station.
•Passengers should keep their mobiles sufficiently charged to ensure that booking details are easily accessible during the train journey.
•If the unreserved ticket is booked after the train has left the boarding station, it will be treated as invalid.
•Screenshots, PDF copies, photographs, or tickets forwarded through social media platforms will not be accepted as valid.

The railway advisory further clarified that these rules apply only to digital unreserved tickets and do not apply to reserved tickets booked through the RailOne app.

Why Are Only Original Unreserved Tickets Booked On RailOne App Considered Valid?

•Screenshots and photographs taken during booking do not include live verification features
•The ticket copies will not display updated booking information
•Sometimes the photographs or screenshots may be unclear or may miss important information, making it difficult for the railway authorities to verify the ticket.
•The booking can not be authenticated through official railway systems.
•Verifying the unreserved ticket directly through the official website helps the authorities to confirm that the ticket is genuine and linked to the right passenger.

The Indian Railways, one of the world's largest railway networks, is continuously trying to adopt digital models, where smartphones and online apps could play a crucial role in speeding up ticket verification, reducing paper usage, improving booking transparency, curbing ticket fraud and enhancing overall passenger management.