In an effort to make train journeys smoother, secure, efficient and transparent across the country, the Indian Railways has come up with a string of changes. Holders of unconfirmed tickets or "wait list passengers" will no longer be permitted to enter sleeper or AC coaches of trains. Only those with confirmed tickets will be allowed to access the reserved coaches starting May 1, Thursday. Surprised? Well, there is more! Here are five major regulations that have been implemented by the Indian Railways starting today that commuters need to know about:
1. From May 1, it will not be possible to travel in sleeper and AC coaches with waiting list tickets. If an unconfirmed ticket holder is found occupying a seat in reserved coaches, the TTE will have the right to ask him/her to vacate the same. A hefty fine would be imposed on that person before being asked to move to the general (UR) coaches. The Indian Railways cites its responsibility to ensure the comfort of passengers with confirmed tickets as the reason behind the rule change.
🚫 Never try to board a moving train — it’s risky, reckless, and could cost you your life.
— Southern Railway (@GMSRailway) May 1, 2025
Wait for the train to stop completely.
Your safety is worth the few extra seconds.#SouthernRailway #SafetyFirst pic.twitter.com/8AX317jyUc
2. While reserving tickets beforehand, passengers will now have to use One Time Password (OTP) for every booking. Registered users or otherwise, every ticket booked via the IRCTC portal and app will now make use of OTPs. The security codes will be generated ahead of the users entering the payment gateway to ensure that a genuine passenger is booking the ticket.
3. Starting today, train tickets can be booked only 90 days prior to the journey. Previously, bookings were allowed up to 120 days ahead of the journey, but this is no longer the case. This change is a precautionary measure to prevent travel agents from exploiting the earlier system.
4. If a train ticket is cancelled, the refund process will be completed within two days. Earlier, the process used to take five to seven days, Manoramaonline said in a report. This law will be applicable to online bookings and counter bookings directly linked to a bank account.
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5. The Indian Railways is going to take further steps to promote digital transactions among passengers.
