New Train Ticket Rules: If you travel by train, this news will prove very useful to you. Indian Railways frequently issues major updates regarding ticket booking rules, which are essential to know. Often, passengers miss out on train journeys due to having waitlisted tickets; now, for the convenience of passengers, Indian Railways—in collaboration with IRCTC—has taken a significant decision.
According to the new rules, passengers will be able to book confirmed tickets from any station while the train is in transit. Once the TTE’s Hand-Held Terminal (HHT) is upgraded, vacant seats on the train will appear live on the IRCTC website, allowing passengers to select and book them.
Solution for Waitlisted and RAC Tickets
Under the new rules, if the train has departed and your ticket remains unconfirmed, the TTE can replace the vacant seat with your waitlisted ticket. This new rule is nothing short of a boon for passengers who struggle with the hassles of waitlisted and RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) tickets.
Technical Wing Upgrading the Software
Indian Railways aims to eliminate the old RAC system from the ticket booking process. To achieve this, the responsibility of upgrading the Hand-Held Terminal software with new features has been assigned to the Railways’ technical wing—the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS).
Once the software is upgraded, a new ‘Confirm Berth Booking’ option will be added to the TTE’s device. To ensure a smooth rollout of this high-tech system, the railway administration has provided technical training to its officials and TTEs.
TTE Can Mark Seats as Vacant on the Device
For instance, if a ticket for the Saptakranti Superfast Express is confirmed but the passenger does not show up for the journey, the TTE can mark that berth as vacant on their device during ticket checking. As soon as the TTE performs this action, the vacant seat will appear live on the railway booking portal and the IRCTC website. Tickets can be booked from any station along the route.
If a passenger wishes to book a ticket from any station en route during the Saptakranti’s journey, they can easily book an available seat. Previously, seats could only be booked while on board the train, but now people will be able to book tickets from any station and board the train.