RPF to crack down on fake train tickets: Indian Railways issues guidelines

Due to the high demand for train travel, ticket sales in the black market have increased. To address this and ensure passengers have access to legitimate tickets, Indian Railways has issued new guidelines.

Train Travel Popularity

Trains play a vital role in transportation. People prefer train travel over buses or cars due to safety, cost, and basic amenities. This high demand leads to black market ticket sales, affecting access for ordinary passengers.

Railway Reservation Monitoring

To ensure equal opportunity for all, Indian Railways is monitoring ticket sales. New guidelines have been issued to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) to curb black market activities, especially during peak travel seasons like festivals.

RPF Guidelines for Ticket Sales

Illegal ticket sales hinder fair access and erode public trust. The RPF is tasked with addressing this through regular checks, surprise raids, digital monitoring of bulk bookings, scrutiny of irregular transactions, and CCTV surveillance at ticket counters.

Penalties for Ticket Scalping

Suspicious accounts will be deactivated. The RPF will collaborate with IRCTC. Offenders involved in black market ticket sales face imprisonment under the Railway Act.

AI-Powered Ticket Monitoring

AI technology will identify fraudulent tickets and offenders, detect multiple bookings from single IPs or VPNs, and mandatory biometric authentication at booking counters will enhance transaction integrity.