Indian Railways general ticket rules change: New guidelines and impact on passengers

Indian Railways general ticket rules change: New guidelines and impact on passengers

Indian Railways is revising its general ticket rules to improve safety and streamline travel. Find out how these changes will impact millions of passengers.

Updated: March 04, 2025 20:36 IST

Indian Railways is going to make sweeping alterations in its General Ticket guidelines that may affect crores of commuters who travel on a daily basis. One of the cheapest forms of transport, Indian Railways caters to commuters of all economic classes with some taking the reserved coaches while others take unreserved general coaches.

Now, reserved coaches are to be booked in advance and feature different options like First AC, Second AC, Third AC, AC Chair Car, Sleeper, and Second Sitting. General coaches, on the other hand, permit the purchase of tickets directly from the station without a prior reservation. Indian Railways is now thinking of modifying the General Ticket rules, which can bring drastic changes for passengers.

Why is Indian Railways changing general ticket rules? The move is in wake of recent overcrowding at railway stations, especially the unfortunate stampede-like scenario at New Delhi Railway Station, where a number of lives were lost. In the aftermath of this, the Railway Administration has begun reviewing the existing General Ticket system to enhance safety and organise passenger movement.

Major changes suggested for general ticket regulations: 1. Train-specific general tickets: Today, anyone who has a General Ticket may enter any train within the network of their ticket. But, in the changed situation, it could be provided that each General Ticket is allotted with a designated train, thus restricting passengers to freely change trains.

2. Period of validity of general tickets: Most passengers do not know that General Tickets have a validity period already. According to current railway regulations, a General Ticket is valid for three hours from the date of purchase.

If a passenger fails to start their journey within these three hours, the ticket is no longer valid. The new system will be designed to enforce and strictly apply this regulation to prevent abuse.

Impact on passengers: Indian Railways is looking to better passenger safety and comfort through such rule changes. The modification could decrease crowding, make ticket checking more efficient, and deter unauthorised traveling. It could also restrict the flexibility of general ticket buyers, especially for train switchers who switch trains frequently depending on availability.

An official announcement from the Ministry of Railways soon is expected regarding these changes. Passengers are requested to remain informed regarding the new guidelines so that they are not inconvenienced during their journey.

Source [India Tv] –

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