No Reserved Travel for Waitlisted Tickets? Major Indian Railway Reforms Kick In 2025
🚆 Key Indian Railways Rule Changes from May 1, 2025 By Reza | May 2025 | 2-Min Read 1. No Reserved Travel for Waitlisted Passengers Passengers holding waitlisted tickets are now prohibited from boarding Sleeper and AC coaches. They must travel in General (Unreserved) coaches. Violations incur fines: up to ₹250 for Sleeper class and ₹440 for AC class, plus fare from the boarding point to the next station. 2. Automatic Ticket Upgrades Waitlisted passengers may receive automatic upgrades to higher classes, up to two levels above the original booking, if seats are available. This applies to full-fare tickets, including those under senior citizen and lower berth quotas. Upgrades are confined within the sitting or sleeping categories. 3. Advance Reservation Period (ARP) Reduced The ARP has been shortened from 120 days to 60 days, requiring passengers to plan and book tickets closer to their travel dates. 4. Mandatory OTP Verifi...