<p>The Railway Ministry on Friday clarified that there is no proposal before it to discontinue paper tickets in trains including Shatabdi and Rajdhani.<br /><br />Dismissing rumors that the railway will discontinue issuing paper tickets, the Ministry said that there is no such proposal before it. However it also said passengers booking tickets online (i.e. E-Tickets) the tickets received by sms is a valid authority for travel along with permissible proof of identity.<br /><br />After a news item was circulated on social media platforms that the railways was going to bring in a number of changes in its system from July 1, the day GST regime starts, the railways ministry issued a detailed clarification to clear doubts.<br /><br />Following is the clarification :<br /><br />1. There is no proposal to discontinue paper tickets for Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains and for that matter in any class of train. However, for passengers booking tickets online (i.e. E-Tickets) the tickets received by sms is a valid authority for travel along with permissible proof of identity.<br /><br />2. Railways has been selling waitlisted tickets both through online (e-ticket) and PRS counters. There is no change in this scheme and railway will continue to sell waitlisted tickets through both online and PRS counter.<br /><br />3. Railways has been running Suvidha Class of Trains since July, 2015, and such trains will continue to run. The waitlisted ticket in such trains is also available, if required. Provision of partial refund in case of Suvidha Train Tickets is available right from the beginning of the scheme. Hence, no new changes in this regard.<br /><br />4. Railways have notified new refund rules in November, 2015.There rules are still continuing and there is no change in them.<br /><br />5. The booking time for Tatkal Tickets was changed in 2015 with booking for AC classes opening at 10 am and for Non-AC classes at 11 am one day in advance of actual date of journey excluding date of journey. There is no change in these timings and the same arrangement is continuing.<br /><br />6. Again there is no change in the refund rules of tatkal tickets. Under the existing rule, no refund is granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets/ duplicate tatkal ticket. This rule continuous to be in operation.<br /><br />7. Railways is already running its destination alert facility on its helpline number 139. In addition, a free destination alert service in some Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains was also introduced on a pilot basis for train arrival at destination between 11 am to 6 am already available. So there is no change in this facility also.<br /><br />8. There is no such proposal to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing train concessions.<br /><br />9. There is no proposal for printing tickets (both, e tickets & PRS tickets) in regional languages.<br /><br />10. There is no proposal to run duplicate trains. We, in anyway, run special trains to clear the rush during peak season on identified popular routes as per the traffic requirements & operational feasibility.<br /><br />11. Railways have launched ‘VIKALP’, Alternative Train Accommodation Scheme(ATAS) on November 1,2015 with a view to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers and also to ensure optimal utilization of available accommodation. This facility was initially started on New Delhi – Jammu, New Delhi – Lucknow, Delhi - Howrah, Delhi - Chennai, Delhi - Mumbai and Delhi - Secunderabad Circuits. Now this scheme was expanded to all the sectors on March 22,2017.</p>
<p>The Railway Ministry on Friday clarified that there is no proposal before it to discontinue paper tickets in trains including Shatabdi and Rajdhani.<br /><br />Dismissing rumors that the railway will discontinue issuing paper tickets, the Ministry said that there is no such proposal before it. However it also said passengers booking tickets online (i.e. E-Tickets) the tickets received by sms is a valid authority for travel along with permissible proof of identity.<br /><br />After a news item was circulated on social media platforms that the railways was going to bring in a number of changes in its system from July 1, the day GST regime starts, the railways ministry issued a detailed clarification to clear doubts.<br /><br />Following is the clarification :<br /><br />1. There is no proposal to discontinue paper tickets for Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains and for that matter in any class of train. However, for passengers booking tickets online (i.e. E-Tickets) the tickets received by sms is a valid authority for travel along with permissible proof of identity.<br /><br />2. Railways has been selling waitlisted tickets both through online (e-ticket) and PRS counters. There is no change in this scheme and railway will continue to sell waitlisted tickets through both online and PRS counter.<br /><br />3. Railways has been running Suvidha Class of Trains since July, 2015, and such trains will continue to run. The waitlisted ticket in such trains is also available, if required. Provision of partial refund in case of Suvidha Train Tickets is available right from the beginning of the scheme. Hence, no new changes in this regard.<br /><br />4. Railways have notified new refund rules in November, 2015.There rules are still continuing and there is no change in them.<br /><br />5. The booking time for Tatkal Tickets was changed in 2015 with booking for AC classes opening at 10 am and for Non-AC classes at 11 am one day in advance of actual date of journey excluding date of journey. There is no change in these timings and the same arrangement is continuing.<br /><br />6. Again there is no change in the refund rules of tatkal tickets. Under the existing rule, no refund is granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets/ duplicate tatkal ticket. This rule continuous to be in operation.<br /><br />7. Railways is already running its destination alert facility on its helpline number 139. In addition, a free destination alert service in some Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains was also introduced on a pilot basis for train arrival at destination between 11 am to 6 am already available. So there is no change in this facility also.<br /><br />8. There is no such proposal to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing train concessions.<br /><br />9. There is no proposal for printing tickets (both, e tickets & PRS tickets) in regional languages.<br /><br />10. There is no proposal to run duplicate trains. We, in anyway, run special trains to clear the rush during peak season on identified popular routes as per the traffic requirements & operational feasibility.<br /><br />11. Railways have launched ‘VIKALP’, Alternative Train Accommodation Scheme(ATAS) on November 1,2015 with a view to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers and also to ensure optimal utilization of available accommodation. This facility was initially started on New Delhi – Jammu, New Delhi – Lucknow, Delhi - Howrah, Delhi - Chennai, Delhi - Mumbai and Delhi - Secunderabad Circuits. Now this scheme was expanded to all the sectors on March 22,2017.</p>
