Railways passengers with ‘waitlisted’ tickets won’t be able to board the reserved coaches

• Violation will attract Rs 440 fine

• Waitlisted ticket rules changed

Representative image: TC, Indian railways. (Credit-News18,TV9)

New Delhi – The Railway Board has changed the rules regarding ‘waitlisted’ tickets. According to the new rules, passengers with ‘waitlisted’ tickets will no longer be allowed to travel in the reserved coaches (the coaches in which all the passengers have made reservations). Henceforth, if a passenger with a ‘waitlisted’ ticket is found travelling in a reserved coach, he will be fined Rs 440. This rule has come into effect from 1st July; ticket inspectors are instructed to enforce this rule strictly.

Railway administration acts after complaints from thousands of passengers

Passengers in the reserved compartment were inconvenienced to a great extent as the passengers with ‘waitlisted’ tickets also boarded the reserved compartment. Thousands of passengers had complained to the railway administration about this. Therefore, the railway administration took the above decision to reduce crowding in reserved coaches and for the convenience of those travelling with ‘confirmed’ tickets in reserved coaches.

Rule also applicable to passengers buying tickets offline

Even if the passengers have purchased the ticket through offline mode i.e., from the railway ticket window, they will not be allowed to travel in the reserved compartment. Earlier, passengers were travelling in reserved coaches by booking tickets offline.

According to the information provided by the railway authorities, travelling on ‘waitlisted’ tickets has been banned since British times; but it was not strictly followed. It is a clear rule of the Railways that if a passenger has purchased a ticket from the ticket window and it is in the ‘waitlisted’ category, and it is not ‘confirmed’ by the time of departure of the train, the passenger can get a refund by cancelling that ‘waitlisted’ ticket. But instead of doing so, the passengers board a reserved compartment with the ‘waitlisted’ ticket and travel freely. This must be prevented.

Ticket inspector can ask the passengers who break the rule to disembark

According to the information given by the railway administration, the passengers who violate the above rule may be made to disembark from the train by paying a fine of Rs 440. The ticket inspector can also send the passenger with the ‘waitlisted’ ticket to the general (Unreserved) compartment.