Indian Railways has introduced a new rule making printed copies mandatory for unreserved tickets, as part of efforts to curb the growing misuse of digital technology and ticket-related fraud. Passengers will no longer be allowed to travel by merely showing unreserved tickets on their mobile phones.
The decision follows recent incidents where Artificial Intelligence (AI) was allegedly used to generate fake train tickets. According to a report by India.com, a major case came to light on the Jaipur route, where a Head Ticket Checker caught a group of students travelling with AI-generated tickets displayed on their phones.
During inspection, it was found that the students had purchased only one unreserved ticket but used AI tools to replicate it for seven passengers. The fake tickets appeared authentic, complete with QR codes, travel details and fare information, but were detected during verification.
Railway officials have expressed concern that ticket touts and fraudsters could increasingly misuse AI to create counterfeit tickets. In response, they clarified that unreserved tickets issued through the UTS mobile app, Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs) or ticket counters must now be carried as physical printouts. Tickets shown on mobile phones will not be considered valid. However, the new rule does not apply to reserved e-tickets and m-tickets.
Following the incident, all railway divisions in Madhya Pradesh, including Jhansi, have been alerted. Ticket Inspectors and Ticket Checkers have been instructed to use the TTE mobile application to scan QR codes and verify tickets whenever suspicious cases arise.
Indian Railways said the move is aimed at safeguarding revenue and strengthening the security of the ticketing system in an increasingly technology-driven environment.
Reservation Chart Timing Revised
In a separate development, Indian Railways has announced a change in the timing of reservation chart preparation to benefit passengers holding Waiting List (WL) and RAC (Reservation Against Cancellation) tickets.
As per a circular issued by the Ministry of Railways, the first reservation chart for trains departing between 05:01 hrs and 14:00 hrs will now be prepared preferably by 20:00 hrs on the previous day. The revised timing is expected to reduce uncertainty and anxiety among passengers, especially those travelling from remote locations to board long-distance trains, by providing earlier clarity on ticket status.
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