Carrying Prescribed Photo Identity Card in Original is Now Compulsory During Journey in Trains in Any Reserved Classes

ONE OF THE PASSENGERS BOOKED ON A NON-TATKAL TICKET NEEDS TO PRODUCE ONE OF THE PRESCRIBED PROOFS OF IDENTITY IN ORIGINAL DURING THE JOURNEY

 THE PASSENGERS UNDERTAKING JOURNEY ON TATKAL TICKET HAVE TO PRODUCE THE SAME ORIGINAL PRESCRIBED PROOF OF IDENTITY AS INDICATED ON THE TICKET

PASSENGERS TRAVELING WITHOUT AN ORIGINAL IDENTIFY PROOF WOULD BE TREATED AS WITHOUT TICKET AND CHARGED ACCORDINGLY.

WHILE PURCHASING RESERVED TICKETS THROUGH PRS COUNTERS, SHOWING ORIGINAL OR ATTACHING PHOTOCOPY OF THE IDENTITY CARD IS NOT REQUIRED EXCEPT WHILE PURCHASING TATKAL TICKETS WHERE PHOTOCOPY NEEDS TO BE ATTACHED AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE

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

          As 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 now made it compulsory to carry prescribed original proof of identity cards during train travel on all reserved classes of tickets.  While this provision was made compulsory for Air Conditioned classes w.e.f. 15^th February 2012,   the provision for all remaining classes was made effective from 1^st December 2012.  In a nutshell, now all categories of passengers travelling in reserved classes will have to produce original proof of prescribed identity cards during the train journey.  Those travelling without an original identify proof shall be treated as without ticket and charged accordingly.

            In case of travel by a group on the same PNR, any one member in the group travelling on a single PNR needs to carry the prescribed identity proof in original which will be valid for all.  In case of Tatkal tickets, the same original proof of identity as mentioned at the time of purchase of he Tatkal tickets (which is also indicated on the ticket) needs to be carried while travelling.

            Moreover, in case of purchasing Tatkal tickets from PRS counters, it is necessary to attach only the self-attested photocopy of the prescribed identity card with the requisition slip, whereas while booking Tatkal ticket though internet, the number and type of proof of identity has to be indicated.  However, at the time of purchasing non-Tatkal tickets from PRS counters, there is no need either to show original prescribed identity card or attach any self-attested photocopy of the identity card. 

The Ministry of Railways has also expanded the list of prescribed proofs of identity to cover more variety of Photo Identity Cards for the convenience of the passengers.  Keeping rural travelling public in mind, the identity cards like Voter Card,  Ration Card, Below Poverty Line Card,  Cards issued by Panchayat Administration  Unique Identity Card, Aadhaar, ESI Cards, Senior Citizen Cards,  Student Identity Card, Bank Passbook with photograph etc. have been included in the list.  The complete expanded list of the prescribed proofs of identity for undertaking journeys 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.

            This new change of policy of making identity card compulsory during reserved travel 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 this policy provision shall also be useful from the security point of view.  

            Railways has given wide publicity to these instructions through Press Notes, Press Advertisements, Display Boards, Announcement though Public Addresses, etc. for the convenience of the traveling people. 

            It will be relevant to mention that only five per cent of the total passenger travelling daily on Indian Railway trains travel in reserved classes.  All the Mail & Express trains have non-reserved ordinary Second Class coaches along with the reserved classes coaches for those who wish to travel in non-reserved classes wherein carrying of identity card is not compulsory.

Source : PIB