The Indian Railways are the lifeline of Indian citizens and cover over 6,8000km all over India. However, there are many complaints regarding the safety of people. The Indian Railways are often very overcrowded and have even led to several dangerous situations. To better the current situation in Railways, and to ensure safer journeys for all the passengers, the IRCTC has introduced a new rule.

Let’s take a look at the new rule introduced by the Western Railways.

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What Is The New Rule?

The Indian Railways has always had overcrowded trains which put all passengers' lives in danger, especially in the sleeper and AC coaches. This is mainly because of the people with unconfirmed tickets and people with no tickets at all. To fight this issue, IRCTC decided to disband all its ticket-checking squads working in train stations and put them on the trains. This is to make sure only passengers with confirmed tickets are travelling in these classes.

This rule was implemented to ensure that the trains don’t become overcrowded and that the passengers with confirmed tickets can travel comfortably with any hustle-bustle. However, this new rule by the IRCTC has had many mixed reactions from the passengers.

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People caught with no confirmed tickets travelling in AC and sleeper coaches will be punished with hefty fines. Passengers travelling in AC coaches with just a waiting ticket will be fined Rs. 440 plus the fare to the next station. For sleeper coaches, the fine is Rs. 250 plus the fare till the next stop.

To ensure that all passengers are completely aware of this new rule, continuous announcements are being made in stations so that they are not caught off-guard in the train.

Ever since the new rule was implemented, it was noticed that the complaints have increased by 36%. This shows that the passengers are not happy with this new rule and are frustrated. Over the years, people started to adapt to travelling without confirmed tickets. The frustration might be because they are used to the hustle-bustle journeys throughout the years.

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The ticket-checking squad on the trains are also facing major issues as they can’t enforce penalties on the passengers travelling without a confirmed ticket because of the short waiting period at each station. All the passengers without confirmed tickets are asked to move to the last-sleeper coach, which leads to that coach being overcrowded and unbearable.

This rule was implemented with the idea of enhancing passenger comfort but has ended up increasing passenger discomfort. The rule was implemented without any proper preparation and has led to the last sleeper coach being unbearably overcrowded.

The Indian Railways is trying to make things easier and more comfortable for passengers but is facing various issues. The implementation of this new rule is a good strategy to ensure that the trains are not overcrowded, but the rule still requires refinement and needs changes as well.

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Conclusion

For the way forward for the Indian Railways, their approach needs to be more passenger-centric so that their comfort is not compromised and ensures the safety of all passengers as well. Better coordination and planning are also required by the Indian Railways to handle the massive crowds and complaints.

Additionally, they also have to come up with better plans for the implementation of penalties so that the passengers realise the weight of the rule change and why it has to be followed.

To avoid the nuisance of waiting for tickets, read this article by Jaagruk Bharat on steps to get a confirmed ticket.

For any complaints and grievances, passengers can call 1800111321 or complain here.