IRCTC booking: Tickets' advance reservation period reduced to 60 days
The Indian Railways has reduced the advance reservation period for train tickets from 120 days to 60 days. The change will come into effect from November 1, CNBC-TV18 reported. In September, the Railways Ministry announced a "special" ticket-checking drive during the festive season to prevent ticketless travel. The Ministry instructed General Managers of 17 Zones to initiate the drive from October 1-15 and October 25-November 10, taking "appropriate action as per the Railways Act of 1989."
Railways Ministry intensifies crackdown on ticketless travel
The move notably targets policemen, who are among the frequent violators, a railway official revealed. "During a recent surprise check between Ghaziabad and Kanpur, we found hundreds of policemen traveling in AC coaches without tickets. Initially, they refused to pay fines and threatened us, but we stood firm and made them pay," the official said. He added, "Passengers were pleased and surprised to see action taken against police personnel."
Ticketless travel by policemen disrupts passenger experience
Ticket-checking officials from the North Central Railways Zone stated their focus is on unauthorized travelers, especially policemen, as they cause problems for valid ticket holders. Train ticket examiners agree, calling policemen the biggest offenders. They not only violate the law by traveling without tickets but also harass legitimate passengers by demanding they share berths and intimidate railway staff when action is taken against them. This behavior has made them a priority for enforcement efforts during ticket checks.
What senior railway official said
"Dealing with WT policemen is a real nightmare as they not only misbehave with us but often threaten to file fake cases to harass us," Sanjay Singh, President of Indian Railway Ticket Checking Staff Organisation (IRTCSO), said. Singh added, "Of late, several videos were viral on social media platforms where policemen fought with railway staff, TTE and common passengers when confronted to produce valid tickets. I request the respective police departments to take exemplary action against such police personnel."
Indian Railways reports high incidence of ticketless travel
Ticketless travel remains one of the most frequent offences on Indian Railways. In response to an RTI request by Chandra Shekhar Gaur, Indian Railways revealed that in the 2023-24 financial year, officials caught 361.045 lakh passengers traveling without or with improper tickets—collecting ₹2231.74 crore in fines. To ensure passenger comfort during the festive season, the Ministry directed zones to "nominate senior level officers to monitor these drives" and to submit feedback by November 18, as mentioned in the Ministry's letter.
