Indian Railways has announced two major changes to make ticket booking faster, simpler, and more secure.
From July 15, passengers will experience a smoother booking process on the updated IRCTC website and mobile app.
At the same time, new rules for general ticket bookings have also come into effect to prevent misuse.
Here’s everything you need to know before booking your next train ticket.
IRCTC Website and App Get a Faster, Simpler Booking Experience
The upgraded IRCTC platform has been designed to save passengers time and reduce unnecessary steps during ticket booking.
One of the biggest improvements is that users will no longer have to enter the same personal details every time they book a ticket.
Once the information is saved, the system will remember it for future bookings.
The updated portal also removes unnecessary pop-ups and extra screens, making the booking process quicker.
In addition, seat availability for all travel classes will now be visible on a single screen, allowing passengers to compare options without switching between multiple pages.
The checkout process has also been simplified, while captchas and other repetitive verification steps have been reduced.
Indian Railways has also introduced stronger measures to block automated bot bookings, ensuring genuine passengers get a fair chance to book tickets.
New Rules for General Ticket Bookings
Indian Railways has also introduced new rules for passengers booking general tickets through the RailOne app.
Passengers booking general tickets online must now carry their original photo ID during their journey.
However, this rule does not apply to tickets purchased from railway reservation counters.
Another important change is that a general ticket will only be considered valid on the same mobile number that was used to book it.
Screenshots, forwarded tickets, or WhatsApp-shared copies will no longer be accepted during ticket checking.
If a passenger shows a ticket screenshot from another mobile phone, it will be treated as an invalid ticket, and the passenger may be considered to be travelling without a valid ticket.
3% Bonus Scheme Extended
There is good news for passengers who book general tickets using the R-Wallet on the RailOne app.
Indian Railways has extended the 3% bonus scheme for these bookings until August 24, 2028.
The extension encourages more passengers to use digital ticket booking while rewarding them with additional savings.
With these updates, Indian Railways aims to make ticket booking faster, improve transparency, and reduce unauthorized ticket usage.
Passengers planning to travel after July 15 should use the updated IRCTC website or app, carry their original photo ID if booking a general ticket online, and always keep their ticket on the same mobile number used during booking.
