Before the arrival of the festive season, the Indian Railways has made a major change, which will make it difficult for the passengers to travel in the train without a confirmed ticket. This rule has come into force from 1 March 2025, under which passengers with waiting list will not be able to travel in sleeper or AC coaches. Its purpose is to reduce congestion and increase security and convenience for passengers.
After this rule, passengers with waiting list will have to travel in general coaches, which are unreserved. This change can affect passengers during the festive season, when the demand for tickets is high. Indian Railways has taken this step keeping in mind the convenience and safety of the passengers.
Ticketing Rules Updated: No visit to reserved coaches without confirmed tickets
Following are the main points of this new rule of Indian Railways:
| Speciality | Description |
| Effective date | 1 March 2025 |
| Prohibited coach | Sleeper and AC coach (on waiting list) |
| Option | Permission to travel in general coach |
| RPR (ARP) period | Reduced from 120 days to 60 days |
| Tatkal ticket booking | AC: 10 am, Non-AC: 11 am |
| Refund policy | Train available at cancellation or 3+ hour delay |
| AI-based seat allocation | To improve confirmed ticket availability |
| Fine | On climbing without valid tickets in reserved coach |
Reasons behind the rule
- Reducing congestion: The climb of passengers with waiting list in reserved coaches causes congestion and inconvenience. This rule will provide more facilities to passengers with confirmed tickets.
- Promoting confirmed tickets: AI-AI-based seat allocation is trying to reduce the railway waiting list, so that passengers will already book tickets.
- Safety improvement: Reserved coaches lead to security risk due to passengers without valid tickets. With this rule, railway officials will be able to monitor the passengers better.
Passenger class
This rule will affect passengers of different categories, including:
- Daily travelers and business travelers: who often book tickets at the last minute.
- Families traveling long distance: All members have to ensure confirmed tickets.
- Tatkal ticket -dependent passengers: Those who are expected to be confirmed at the last minute.
- Tourists and those who travel for the first time: Who can be unaware of this policy change and will need to plan better.
Options for passengers with waiting list
If you have a waiting list ticket, you have the following options:
- Travel in General Coach: Passengers with waiting list can travel in general coaches, which are unreserved.
- Check the last minute confirmation: Railways’ AI-based system optimizes seat allocation, so check your PNR status repeatedly on the IRCTC website or app.
- Use the option plan: Under the option scheme, passengers with waiting list can get a seat in another train on the same route.
- Consider Tatkal and Premium Tatkal tickets: If you want to travel at the last minute, choose Tatkal or Premium Tatkal tickets.
Changes in general ticket rules
Indian Railways has also changed the general ticket rules, so that the safety and convenience of passengers can be increased. These changes include:
- Train-specific general ticket: Now the general ticket will be valid only for a specific train, which will reduce the freedom of passengers to change the train.
- The validity period of the General Ticket: The validity of the General Ticket will be only three hours, after which it will be invalid. This rule will be strictly followed.
Holi special trains
During the festive season of Holi, Indian Railways has run 62 special trains so that passengers would be able to reach their destination. The purpose of these trains is to reduce congestion and provide safe travel to passengers. Following are the characteristics of Holi Special Trains:
| Speciality | Description |
| Total special trains | 62 |
| Main road | Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Varanasi, Patna, Lucknow etc. |
| Booking platform | IRCTC |
| Travel time | 7 March to 31 March 2025 |
| Coach available | General, Sleeper, AC 3-Tier, AC 2-Tier, AC 1-Tier |
| Pantry/Catering | Available (different according to the train) |
| Immediate booking | Available for selected trains |
No ticket, no entry policy
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has announced the implementation of complete access control at 60 railway stations, which will ban the entry of passengers without tickets. This policy is to reduce congestion and improve passenger safety. Under this policy, only passengers with confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter the platform.
conclusion
With these new rules of Indian Railways, passengers will have to plan their journey in advance. Passengers with waiting list will have to travel in general coach and booking in advance for confirmed tickets. Holi special trains and no tickets, no entry policy will experience passengers safe and convenient travel.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the recent rules and changes of Indian Railways. This information is based on general knowledge and publicly available data. For any specific travel plan, it would be appropriate to get information from the official website of IRCTC or Indian Railways.
