Even though millions travel by train, there are many railway rules which passengers are not aware of. At RailYatri, it is our constant endeavor to bring forth information that would help solve your travel worries. Today we bring you some such rules that you might not know.
Rule #1: Refunds on Tatkal tickets too!
Travel plans sometimes come knocking out of the blue. And when you have to travel by train – Tatkal tickets are your only last minute choice. Till not so long ago Tatkal tickets were non-refundable. However, with the new Railway rules all this have changed and you can now claim refunds on Tatkal tickets too. So if your train is delayed by over 3 hours or there is a change in route of your train and it misses your station – you can rightfully claim your refund. Also, if a train is short terminated due to any natural calamity or technical problem, then the full fare paid for the booked journey will be refunded. In such a case, the passengers should surrender their tickets to the Station Master of the station where the train got short terminated.
Rule #2: The rule of two stops
In case you miss the train from your designated boarding station, the TTE cannot allocate your berth to anyone else until the train passes the next two stops or during the next one hour (whichever is earliest). The rule thus allows you to board the train from the next upcoming station, if that is feasible. Once the train has passed the upcoming stop (or the time line), the TTE is free to allocate the seat only to the next person on RAC list.
- Note: On missing the train you need to file a TDR and if sanctioned you will get a 50% refund on the base fare. You can cancel a ticket 3 hours after the train’s departure from your boarding station if the journey was for a distance of 200 KM; 6 hours after – for a journey of 201-500 KM and 12 hours if the distance is more than 500 KM.
Rule #3: Sleeping hours for middle berth occupant
The rule says that any occupant of the middle berth cannot keep the berth up beyond the sleeping hours. The sleeping hours have been earmarked between 10 PM to 6 AM. The berth should be lowered after the said time to accommodate the smooth seating of co-passengers.
- Note: The rule mandates that all the passengers should be comfortably seated in the lower berth during the day hours. So, having the middle berth up beyond the earmarked hours is actually an offence.
Rule #4: Carrying birds in train
If you want to travel with your avian bird then you have to adhere to certain Indian railways rules. First of all, you cannot carry the bird along with you in the regular coach. Your bird will be treated as freight and placed in the luggage van. Chapter 10 of the Indian Railways Commercial Manual, clearly states that: “the responsibility for the well being of the bird (in this case) lies with the owner.” You have to fill up a form where the value of the bird, their number (in case you are carrying multiple birds), the number of cages and its dimensions should be clearly mentioned. It is the responsibility of owner to provide food and water for the bird while in transit. As you will not be allowed into the luggage van, so stock the cage with sufficient water and food to last the journey.
- Note: Indian Railways does not permit the transportation of exotic bird species, and even parrots fall under such category. So seek clarification (about Bird species in question) before booking.
Rule #5: Toilets for locomotive drivers
It has been 163 years since the first train chugged in India, but till date, the locomotive pilots (drivers) have to ignore their nature’s call for hours as there is no toilet in the engine. The logic against providing such a basic facility, is to avoid unnecessary train delays (as trains have to be stopped while the driver uses toilet).
- Note: In the last Rail Budget some special engines were commissioned with the provision for lavatories. But none are in action till date!
Rule #6: Prices of packed food within the station premise
The Railways Act of 1989 clearly states that the IRCTC authorized food vendors selling packed food items or water bottles cannot sell their goods over the MRP. Any vendor if caught in the act, would be punished with a hefty fine and may have the license cancelled. Railways have a toll free number of 1800111321 to register complains in this regard.
Rule #7: Refund policy for lost tickets
Suppose you have an upcoming journey, and find that somehow you have lost or misplaced the ticket/s, there is still a way to go ahead with the journey. You can approach the Chief Reservation Supervisor at the boarding station and submit an application requesting the issuance of a duplicate ticket. Alongside the application you would be asked to submit a xerox copy of identity card.This request would be entertained only until 24 hours before the journey time. After inspection, the duplicate ticket would be provided on payment of a nominal processing fee. In case, you find the original ticket, you can claim refund on processing charge for the duplicate ticket. To get such refund you need to furnish the original as well as duplicate ticket to the same official.
- Note: When a duplicate ticket is issued, your ticket gets blocked. You can no longer cancel or alter this ticket any further. This is done to protect railways from fake claims, where another person finds the ticket and pockets all the refunds from cancellation.
Rule #8: Extending the journey
During the peak seasons, many passengers have to book tickets to an earlier station than their original destination (dictated by unavailability of tickets). In such instances, there is a provision to extend the journey upon informing the TTE before reaching the destination station. In such case, the TTE will collect the extra fare and issue a ticket for forward journey. You might be provided a different berth though for this forward journey.
- Note: You might have to carry on the remainder of journey in chair car if a vacant berth cannot be found.
ALSO READ: Suvidha train rules, Patient concession
Very informative.
Very useful information Thanks
Thank you for the information. I want to clarify one doubt which the railway officials do not. Is it necessary for me to take the ticket for the electric trains from tambaram to St.thomas mount when I travel in the train from Trichy to EGMORE under reservation.
Yes very much necessary to buy another ticket
Yes.You can board or alight from those stations the train scheduled
to stop.For instance if you have booked to board from Tambaram,you can travel from egmore after buying a separate ticket in the same fare from The or counter.but not in a suburban train with subsidized fare.
Very much informative and useful. Thanks.
Very much useful information about the railway provided for the passengers
Very usefull information for travellers like us who travel frequently in train
Thanks a lot for further information
All the staff of our Indian railways are fraud and cheap they only make rules but none of them obey the rules….
Once my friend missed the the train only because the supporting train was late actually all trains was blocked going to asansol to birth the booked train, after time lapse we informed the counter madhupur jn to cancel the ticket and take refund but those bastards didn’t refund a penny….
Nice informations provided. Truly speaking that many of the information were unknown .
It’s one of the best dashboard for railway passenger convenience
Why Bed Roll is not provided for RAc Tickets. Their sud also be concession for Tatkal n Premium Tatkal Tickets for Senior Citizens. In Rail App you are telling it is cheaper if booked by Your Agent but is Actually Costlier by as much as 15% It’s like instead of Outside Agents have setting with Reservation Counter Staff unofficially you are doing it Officially by fulling Citizens of India very very Dishonesty Even Behaviour of Agents are very Rude I hope will solve this problems n accept my suggestion
Useful information for a more cofortable journey. Only thing g is we, alert citizens must use this in practice.
Thanks for valuable information.
Useful information every one should know it
Thanks
Nice information.. very helpful. Post more please
Any rules for wakeup call in indian railway at night time
nice piece of information. Please share more such railway rules.
Where to complain if TTE doesn’t listen and cancel my ticket since I was unable to board train from booked destination and boarded train on next stop.
How much early a train can leave station by law? What if I miss a train even if came on or before time? Where to complain?
Confirmed Tatkal Tkt can be boarded at any place without advance intimation. Since no refund is allowed on tatkal confirmed tkt railway can’t reallot my confirmed tatkal tkt to any one. Railway can’t make undue profits by allotting confirmed tatkal tkt since no refund is permissible on confirmed tatkal tkt.
My colleague had booked 3 tickets in SL class. As one of his family members was not in travelling condition, so he decided to take another friend along with a wait list ticket. TTE came into the compartment and asked this friend to get down. My colleague asked the TTE to charge a fine, but he refused. Is this the right practice?
Hello Vijay,
Sorry to hear about your friend’s ordeal. But the TTE was just following the rule. And the rule states that no person without a confirmed or RAC ticket can travel in a train. As for replacing one family member with a friend is concerned, sadly that is not how it works according to the Railways rules.
I have a confirmed tatkal ticket for 15/06/18 from ajmer but i want to board from jaipur.. In boarding station section i put the station jaipur and it rejected thrice in the booking time… Somebody says that new circular is just arrived today.
So please tell me the best possible way of boarding without any offences
Please its very urgent
Hello Mitram,
You can reserve an additional ticket in General Coach to travel between Jaipur to Ajmer. This will validate your journey. You can request the TTE to allow you inside the compartment (in which you have reservation from Ajmer onwards). You would be allowed to stand in the corridor, and if you are really lucky even get a seat. Once the train reaches Ajmer you can of course move to your confirmed berth for the forward journey. Again, please make sure you have a General ticket with you before boarding the train from Jaipur.
Thanks for useful information. Post more such helpful information for us.
very informative
Very useful and happy to know this information. Keep giving us such info.
May I know the source of information for rule#2 above described…My TTE asked for the authentic source..
Thanks
I had a confirmed ticket from mumbai central to surat. Due to rains the train got short terminated at dahanu, and got revered from dahanu itself. And because of rains it was not poasible to catch the train. The journey was a no show. what is the refund rule for the same and how to claim the refund in such a case. I had booked the ticket online.
Hello Mukul,
You have to visit the ticket reservation counter at the boarding station and report the same within 24 hours of the scheduled departure of the train. The Railways official would provide an application form, fill it up and submit. The details would be verified and you would get the refund.
I have confirmed tickets in 3AC from PPTA (Patliputra) Dep. 21:50 to NDLS (New Delhi) Arr. 10:20 (next day) and then in 3AC from NDLS Dep.14:10 ( the same next day) to LDH. Arr.18:25. The issue is the first train i.e. Dibrugarh Rajdhani reached NDLS more than 3 hours late due to which I am going to my next train from NDLS to LDH. Please note there is difference of more than 3 hours between arrival and departure of next train at NDLS. How to get refund? I have both e-Tickets for 2 persons throughout my journey.
Hello Riya,
You can get full refund of fare only if you do not board a train (that is running late by more than 3 hrs.). Refunds cannot be claimed after the completion of journey.
What’s the rule if a passenger having waiting list ticket and paid fine.
Is he/she can travel in reserved coaches ?
Hello….
Actually our college area’s Railway Station donot have a scheduled railway stop. But frequently the train stops due to crossing of other train. Meanwhile we would get down .But sometime we can’t. We have to get down in the next stop . What the solution if we want to get an official stop there especially for us(students)?
Kindly provide the authority for the rule no. 2 mentioned in your article. Railway board order or any rule book etc.?
One more doubt which was regular will face that is like I’m boarding Surat station to Baroda which was 2hours journey but I’m purched super fast window ticket and travel in sleeper couch then why TTE take more charges for me ???
Hello all……
I have one query…….I have one upcoming reservation……where in my train travels as below…..
—-> Manglore…..Udupi……Gokarna……Madgaon…..Thane
I have a ticket from Udupi to Thane….Boarding at Madgaon.
I want to board the train from Gokarna…..without changing the boarding station?……as i am not sure….of going to Gokarna during my trip
I have waitlisted ticket from Delhi to Mumbai(boarding point Mathura junction) in garib Rath. Chart is prepared and the ticket is not confirmed. I need to travel urgent. Should I board the train from Mathura and ask the TTE to make penalty? Is there any rule of boarding the train and ask for penalty? Somebody pls elaborate.
Hi, I want to travel from station A to station C, but there is no reservation available as it is showing waiting. But confirmed ticker is available from A to B and from B to C (station B is between station A and C). Can I legally book two tickets for the same person on the same train, one from A to B and second from B to C? If yes, since the fare of two separate reservations will be higher, can I opt for the telescopic discounted fare using the through / onward journey option for booking these two reserved tickets?
What if the passenger is boarding from other station and The seat is alloted to other passenger, will the first passenger be declared as without ticket traveller???
why train no.12875/12876 neelachal s/f exp is always average running late 5 hrs. this is great lose of money and valuable time of passengers kindly maintain the punctuality of this train because this is important train of indian railways which generate revenue for our economy
I have tickets that booked to visit Goa.
Boarding place Mangaluru central.
The waiting list says CNF
What does it mean?
Will I get seat on the date of journey?
Hello Ramakrishna,
If your PNR status shows “CNF” you would be allotted a berth on the date of journey.
Rule #3: Sleeping hours for middle berth occupant
Is the above rule too applicable to the lower berth traveler? As i have seen in many of my travel that the lower berth person sleeping up to 8:00 am.and middle berth traveler has to sit as shown in picture above.
The charge for duplicate ticket is not even that nominal. It is 50% of the total fare. But yeah it’s still better than paying 100% fare again.
Hey, i booked my tatkal ticket, and i missed my train,
What could i do ?
Give me some answer
Hi Mr Ravi in such case you could fill TDR form within four hour to your boarding station. Thanks
Namaskar mera ticket aarawali express me 29/10/2018 ko Mumbai se reservation h aur meri boarding date Ahmedabad station se h train yaha next day pahuchati h 30/10/2018 ko mane ticket date 29/10/2018 likhi h to please mujhe batao konse din journey karni h
i have confirmed reservation window ticket but i lost in train by travelling.. what could i do.. that tym..?
Hi Mr Roshan, that you can check with your IRCTC Account history (If you have made by your own account or else you can call the agent for PNR no and other details. Railyatri believes you have carried any of your identity prof with you during travel. Thanks
Dear Sir,
I want to know, how many hours, the e ticket is valid. Suppose I got down from the train in between and do not want reservation further. Can I travel by the same ticket within a few hours? CAn it be 24 hours!!! thanks in advance
Hi Mr Sarat in such a scenario you need to chose break journey option if you are travelling for more than 500 km. Thanks
I have confirmed ticket in 3Rd AC of 4 members having 2 middle and two upper seats.
Now another 5 persons who have one confirmed and 4 waiting,
As per rules one confirmed and remaining waiting can travel with same class.
But I want to know how to accommodate remaining 3 members in seat available six?
Tte suggested to adjust but my question is how do we adjust in long journey?
I checked and found on 24 dec 2018 nanadan kanan express which is runnjng from delhi to Bhubaneswar, its waiting from kanpur is 20 and then the next station allahabad and there are waiting 27. Now which ticket got confirm first. Whuch one i should book?
Hello Suraj,
Ideally you should have the Concession Certificate with the exact boarding and de-boarding stations mentioned. However, there might be exceptions made by Indian railways depending upon your case. So, you need to visit the booking office of the boarding station for further clarity.
I have confirmed ticket , suddenly my friend also coming for the trip ,
Whether we can travel in sleeper coach with 1 ticket and my friend taken a unreserved ticket for him
Pl advice
Hello Sivaram,
Such an arrangement can be reached only after the TTE consents. So, you have to seek his permission. Even when the TTE allows your friend inside the coach you would have to share the berth.
Dear Sir,
I had reservation and reached station much earlier. But I was waiting at wrong platform which someone suggested to wait there . Unfortunately my train started from different platform. The 10:50 am is departure time , surprisingly at 10:49 am the announcement has come line train will start sooner. I tried to catch , but my other family members was not able to run I requested guard to hold for minute and the station as a starting point for my journey.
Now , I would like to know that , who have authority to stop the train at last minute call and which rules can be applicable . I would like to raise a complaint that , the station employees did not announced the right platform number before train starts .
Appreciate all your help and suggestions .
Regards ,
Partha
Hi Mr Partha, so sorry for your loss. Here I would like to guide you that you should fill the complain against such problems. Also there is a rule for refund if you could not catch your train ever because of such situations. You can fill the TDR Form in the same railway station. Thanks
Sir .we have a confirmed ticket of Trivandrum Rajdhani from Shunoor to Goa. Can v board the same train from Ernakulam which is 2 station prior to Shunoor. If we have to pay the difference AMT what will be charged and were to pay
Hello Sairaj,
As per the Indian railways rules, you can board two stations later (from your original boarding point). But railways would not allow you to board earlier than the mentioned boarding station on your travel ticket. So, if you are caught you would be deemed as Without Ticket. So, the easiest way is to board the General compartment of the same train from Ernakulam and change over to your allotted coach at Shunoor. But even for this journey you need to book a General ticket.
Sir we are traveling in Sachkhand express from nanded to ludhiana
Ludhiana timing was 17:45 but train is late near about 5 hours and we are not reached ambala yet but we can do
I have to travel from jolarpettai to ernakulam jn . but i got only reservation from plakkad to ernakulam jn. what i want to do ?
We are traveling in sachkhand express from nanded to ludhiana. Timing of ludhiana was 17:45 but train is late by aprox 5 hours what we can do in this case
Very informative! I got to know the rule of middle berth which cannot be kept the berth up beyond the sleeping hours.
Hello,
I have a question. Me and my friend are traveling from Pathankot by JAT SBP EXP (18310) wherein I am traveling upto Kanpur and my friend is traveling upto Delhi. These two destinations are on same route but with different arrival times. Train reaches Delhi at early morning while it reaches Kanpur at noon. My ques is how can I book our tickets of two different destinations (on the same train route) in a single ticket..? Please help. Thanks.
Hello Tanmay,
Thanks for your comment. It made us think. However, I would have to disappoint you. There is no way of booking single ticket with two different destinations. You have to book two separate tickets.
If e ticket waiting ticket gets automatically cancelled if not getting confirmed ,then why are they charging cancellation fees.
It’s railway department tht is cancelling ticket not the consumer
Hi,
I have booked a ticket from CSTM Mumbai to Hyderabad for 6 people. This is done through e-Ticket. I want to change the boarding point only for one of the persons. Is that possible?
Also the rule says that you can change the boarding point only once. I am not sure this “once” is applicable per PNR or per passenger. If we change it for one person (if that is possible) and subsequently want to change for some more people on the same ticket /PNR, would that be allowed?
Hi Sir. The rule is for per PNR therefor you have to change the boarding for all actually. Also you can keep your one co passenger’s seat safe with you till He/She joins you on the way.
Very nicely explained…..thank you for sharing.
I have a confirm reservation from NZM to TVC in train no. 12432 vide PNR no. 2619061447 with 4 family members for 12th February,2019, and the train is scheduled to reach Trivendrum at 5:25 a.m.on 14th February 2019 and from there I have another reservation from TVC to MDU station in train no. 22628 vide PNR no. 4807969186 for the same passenger for 14th February 2019 boarding from TVC at 11:45 a.m. but due some strike reason which are beyond the first train (12432) could not reach the destination within time so I could not the 2nd connecting train. What are my rights now?
Hi Mr Vikram your journey seems to be little risky in terms of catching second train. It will be good if you try to book your ticket for any other train as you yourself has calculated that you might miss your second train. Thanks
Planning to book e-tickets for a 4000+km trip. The intent is to break journey in two places, which meet the distance criteria.
Scenario is as follows:
Salem to Durgapur – Vivek Express (break journey 2 days). Board XYZz Express @ Durgapur to New Jalpaiguri (break journey for two days). Board ABC express @ New Jalpaiguri for Dibrugarh.
Can this be done using the new Connecting train feature in the IRCTC Android APP?
If I do that, do I get telescopic pricing, or does the calculation begin from zero?
Thanks for your attention.
Hi Mr MG Gopalan, for such journey you have to visit your local railway station. Thanks
Dear sir,
Please clarify: I want to go to Jaipur from Rajkot, seats are not available but in the same train got confirmed ticket upto Abu road station. Now before arriving to Abu Road I approached to TTE and requested to extend my journey upto Jaipur. But TTE denied the same saying that no birth is available in train even not in Sleeper coach. TTE asked me to pay difference fare along with penalty.
I want to know that if there any penalty applicable in this case?
Hi Mr Ashok it depends and if the TTE is asking to pay you some fine the do ask the authorised receive of your payment.