Railways cracks down on unconfirmed ticket holders amid overcrowding complaints

MUMBAI: The Indian Railways has resolved to implement stringent measures against passengers traveling in long-distance trains with unconfirmed tickets following a deluge of grievances and social media posts underscoring the severe congestion in both sleeper and air-conditioned coaches.
The rising number of passengers without confirmed reservations has caused significant discomfort for those who booked their tickets months in advance.This situation has sparked widespread frustration among travelers who find their reserved seats occupied by unauthorized passengers.
Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway (CR) Swapnil Nila stated, "We have commenced de-boarding passengers who possess waitlisted tickets or tickets procured through the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) if they are found traveling in reserved coaches." However, he clarified that passengers with partially confirmed Passenger Name Records (PNRs) will still be allowed to travel. For instance, if two out of four passengers on the same PNR have confirmed tickets, the remaining two waitlisted passengers will not be deboarded.
Previously, railway authorities imposed penalties on those traveling with unconfirmed tickets but did not remove them from the train. This new measure represents a significant shift in the Railways' approach to tackling overcrowding.
As part of this intensified effort, which began on June 14, approximately 1,700 passengers were de-boarded from 31 trains on the Central Railway. This operation covers trains traveling across various regions of India.
Similarly, Western Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Vineet Abhishek, reported comparable actions. "During an exhaustive check between Mumbai Central and Surat stations, a total of 246 passengers were de-boarded from 99 trains on June 17. On June 18, actions were taken against 292 unauthorized passengers traveling in 105 trains."
The crackdown continued on June 19 and 20, with 412 and 250 passengers being de-boarded from 99 and 82 trains, respectively.