Carrying Identity Card Extended to All Classes of Reserved Train

Condition of Carrying Identity Card Extended to All Classes of Reserved Train Tickets including Reserved Second Class and Sleeper Class
The New Provision will Come into effect from 1st December 2012
The Move AIMS to Facilitate the Travel of Bonafide and Legitimate Passengers and to Reduce the Scope for Misuse of Reserved Ticketing System by Unscrupulous Elements/Middleman

The List of Prescribed Proofs of Identity has been Expanded to Cover more Variety of Photo Identity Cards for the Convenience of the Passengers

In a major initiative to further facilitate the travel of bonafide and legitimate passengers and to reduce the scope for misuse of reserved ticketing system by unscrupulous elements/middlemen, the Ministry of Railways has decided to extend the condition of carrying original proof of identity during travel on reserved tickets issued through Passenger Reservation System (PRS) for all reserved classes including ‘Reserved Second Class (2S)’, ‘Sleeper Class (SL)’, ‘III Economy Class (3E)’ and ‘First Class (FC)’.  This change in policy will come into effect from 1st December 2012.

Further, the Ministry of Railways has also decided to expand the list of prescribed proofs of identity to include photo identity cards having serial numbers issued by public sector undertakings of State/Central Government, District Administrations, Municipal Administrations and Panchayat Administrations.

The expanded list of the prescribed proofs of identity for undertaking journey on Tatkal ticket and other reserved classes will now be as follows:

1.    Voter Photo identity card issued by Election Commission of India.

2.    Passport.

3.    PAN Card issued by Income Tax Department.

4.    Driving Licence issued by RTO.

5.    Photo identity card having serial number issued by Central/State Government which include the following:

(i)                 Pension Pay Order s(PPO)

(ii)               Ration Card with photographs

(iii)             Senior Citizen cards

(iv)             Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards

(v)               ESI cards (with photograph) issued for taking treatment in ESI dispensaries.

(vi)             CGHS Cards (with photograph) issued to individual family members of Central Govt. employees.

6.    Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recognized School/College for their students.

7.    Nationalized Bank Passbook with photographs.

8.    Credit Cards issued by Banks with laminated photograph.

9.    Unique Identification Card “Aadhaar”.

10.     Photo identity cards having serial number issued by Public Sector Undertakings of State/Central Government, District Administrations, Municipal bodies and Panchayat Administrations.

      In this way,  the new provision to be effective from 1st December, 2012 will be as follows :-

“Any one of the passengers booked on a PNR for undertaking journey in any reserved class has to produce any one of the above mentioned prescribed proofs of identity in original during the journey failing which all the passengers booked on that ticket will be treated as travelling without ticket and charged accordingly.  The existing provision of the Tatkal scheme where the passenger is required to show the same original proof of identity as indicated on the ticket shall continue.”

It may be mentioned that presently only the following categories of passengers travelling in reserved classes have to produce original proof of identity during the journey:-

·         Passengers travelling on e-tickets.

·         Passengers travelling on Tatkal tickets.

·         Passengers undertaking journey in AC classes on the tickets issued through the computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) {except in III Economy -3E class}.

With the new provision, the condition of carrying one of the prescribed identity cards has now been extended additionally to other classes of travel namely - Reserved Second Class(2S), Sleeper Class(SL),  III Economy Class(3E) and First Class(FC).

The above change in the policy is aimed at facilitating the travel of bonafide and genuine passengers and simultaneously to check the scope for travel on transferred tickets.  It is also considered that the proposed change shall also be useful from the security point of view.  

hoto Identity Proof Mandatory for Travel In AC Classes With Effect From 15th February, 2012

With effect from 15th February, 2012, any o­ne of the Passengers or the passenger booked o­n the tickets issued from computerizedPassenger Reservation System (PRS) and i-ticket booked through Internet for travel in AC First Class, AC II Tier, AC III Tier, AC Char Car and Executive Classes will be required to carry any o­ne of the prescribedproof of Identity ( in original) during the journey. Passengers need to produce their proof of identities as when required failing which all the passengers booked o­n that ticket will be treated as without ticket and charged accordingly.

The nine valid proof of identity prescribed by the Ministry of Railways are Voter Photo Identity Card issued by Election Commission of India; Passport; PAN Card issued by Income Tax Department; Driving License issued by RTO; Photo Identity Card having serial number issued by Central / State Government; Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recongnised Schools /colleges for their students; Nationalised Bank Passbook with photograph; Credit Card issued by Banks with laminated photograph and Unique Identification Card ie, Aadhaar.

At present, the Passengers with Tatkal and e-tickets are required to carry original proof of identity during the course of train journey. With a view to prevent the cases of travelling o­n transferred tickets in AC classes, the procedure of carrying proof of identity by passengersis extended to AC Class passengers also.

RAILWAYS EXTEND ADVANCE RESERVATION PERIOD TO 120 DAYS

NEW PROVISION TO BE EFFECTIVE FROM 10TH MARCH, 2012
The Ministry of Railways has decided to increase the advance reservation period for booking train tickets from existing 90 days to 120 days o­n experimental basis (excluding the date of journey) w.e.f. March 10, 2012.
However, there will be no change in case of certain day-time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express etc. where lower time limits for advance reservations are at present in force.There will also be no change in case of the limit of 360 days for foreign tourists.

Fresh Measures to Prevent Misuse of Tatkal Travel Scheme

The Minister of Railways Shri Dinesh Trivedi at a press conference here today said that several measures are proposed to be implemented in the next one week or so with a view to prevent misuse of Tatkal scheme by agents/unscrupulous elements by the activities during opening hours of the reservation counters:. These measures announced by him are as follows:-

i. The advance reservation period of Tatkal scheme should be reduced from two days at present to one day excluding the day of journey from the train originating station. For example, if train is to depart from the originating station on the second of the month, the Tatkal quota for that particular train shall open at 0800 hours on the first of the month.

ii. There shall be no refund on confirmed Tatkal tickets subject to the exceptions such as cancellation of trains, late running of trains, etc. This is proposed on account of the following reasons :-


· Advance reservation period of Tatkal is very short i.e. approximately one day. It is expected that the passenger would have a firm programme of travel before booking the Tatkal ticket.

· To prevent misuse of Tatkal ticket by unscrupulous elements by resorting to speculative booking.


iii. No duplicate Tatkal tickets shall be issued. Duplicate Tatkal tickets shall be issued only in exceptional cases on payment of full fare including Tatkal charges.

iv. Tatkal tickets shall be sold only on production of one of the eight prescribed Identity cards as proof of identity. For this purpose, a self attested photo copy of the identity card on which the passenger(s) proposes to travel shall be attached to the requisition slip. The details of the identity proof shall be captured by the system and indicated on the reserved tickets as well on the chart. It will not be mandatory for the passengers to go to the counter to book the Tatkal ticket, however, the proof will have to be sent in the aforementioned manner. During the journey, the passenger will have to produce original proof of identity indicated on the ticket. In future, when AADHAAR is operational, the issue of Tatkal tickets will be linked to AADHAAR.


v. Agents / RTSAs shall be restricted from the booking Tatkal tickets at the counters between 0800 hrs. and 1000 hrs. This restriction shall be enforced through frequent inspection at the counters. The agents both web service agents and web agents shall also be restricted from booking Tatkal tickets on the internet between 0800 hrs. and 1000 hrs.

vi. Even for internet booking for Tatkal tickets, the passenger shall enter the identity proof type and number, which is to be used for travel. These details shall be printed on the ERS as well as the chart for Tatkal tickets.


vii. There shall be only four passengers per PNR for Tatkal tickets.

viii. The web services agents of IRCTC will be permitted to book only one Tatkal ticket per train per day on the internet.


ix. Cameras will be installed at the ticket counters for maintaining stricter surveillance.

Amendment in Tatkal scheme - Identity Proof

In the original Tatkal scheme introduced in 1997, there was a provision that the passengers booking ticket under this scheme would indicate their Identity Card number at the. time of booking and the passengers would be required to carry the same Identity Card during the journey failing which they were considered as travelling without ticket and excess charged accordingly. This provision was subsequently withdrawn in August 2004 which is in vogue till date and in this revised scheme, there was no condition of production of Identity Card either at the time of booking or during the journey.

 2. In view of complaints t:eceived in recent past regarding alleged irregularities in Tatkal scheme, the matter has been reviewed and it has been decided to re-introduce the need for carrying anyone of the following eight Identity proofs in original during the course of journey:

Voter Photo Identity Card issued by Election Commission of India
Passport
PAN Card issued by Income Tax Department
Driving Licence issued by RTO .
Photo Identity Card issued by Central/State Government.
Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recognized
School/College for their students
Nationalised Bank Passbook with photograph and
Credit Cards issued by Banks with laminated photograph

2.1 No Identity proof is required to be produced at the counter while getting the Tatkal ticket booked.

2.2 Anyone of the passenger/passengers will be required to produce one of the Identity proofs in original (as listed in para 2.0) for checking by ticket checking staff during the course of journey, failing which, all the passenger/passengers travelling on the said ticket will be treated as travelling without ticket and will be charged excess fare and penalty as per rules.

3. This provision will be given effect from 11.02.2011.