Millions of people travel by train every day in India, and it is considered the cheapest and most reliable mode of transportation. Often, when traveling together, people book a single ticket, but when booking for 4 or 5 people, not all tickets are confirmed. If only 3 seats are confirmed in a group of 5 passengers, how will the remaining 2 passengers on the waiting list travel? The Railways have tightened the rules in this regard.
Travelling on Waiting Tickets Now Against the Rules
Under previous rules, even if some tickets were confirmed and some were on the waiting list, all passengers could travel on the train. Previously, passengers on the waiting list were not removed from the train even if they did not get a seat. The TTE would allow them to travel depending on the circumstances. Because of this, people assumed that if even one ticket was confirmed on a single PNR, the entire group could travel on the train.
But now the Railways have tightened the rules. According to the new rules, only passengers with confirmed or RAC tickets can travel in sleeper or AC coaches. Even after chart preparation, boarding a train with a waitlisted ticket is considered against the rules.
Those with RAC tickets can travel
If only three tickets in a group of five are confirmed and two are on the waitlist, the waitlisted ticket must be converted to RAC. Passengers with RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) tickets can travel by sharing seats. However, boarding a sleeper or AC coach with a regular waitlisted ticket is strictly prohibited. If the ticket remains on the waitlist even after chart preparation, those passengers will have to make other arrangements.
Penalties and Alternative Arrangements for Waitlisted Tickets
If your online-booked waitlisted ticket is not confirmed, it is automatically cancelled by IRCTC, and a refund is issued. If you are caught traveling in a sleeper or AC coach without a confirmed or RAC ticket, you may be fined.
In such a case, if you definitely want to travel, you can purchase a general ticket from the station or book a general ticket through the UTS app. If a seat becomes vacant during the journey, the TTE may offer the seat to a waiting list passenger as per the rules.