In a bid to improve passenger convenience, safety, and transparency, Indian Railways has introduced several important changes effective from May 1. Most notably, passengers holding waitlisted tickets will no longer be allowed to travel in sleeper or AC coaches. Only those with confirmed tickets will be permitted in these reserved compartments, and anyone found violating this rule may face a fine and be moved to the general unreserved coaches. This move aims to protect the comfort and rights of passengers with confirmed bookings.
Additionally, ticket booking through the IRCTC website or app will now require OTP verification, regardless of whether the user is registered or not. This new step is meant to ensure that only genuine passengers complete bookings. Moreover, Indian Railways has reduced the advance reservation window to 90 days from the earlier 120 days, a decision taken to prevent misuse by travel agents.
Another key update is the speedier refund process. Ticket cancellations—whether made online or at the counter linked to a bank account—will now be refunded within two days, down from the previous five to seven-day timeline. Lastly, the Indian Railways is continuing its push for digital payments, encouraging passengers to adopt cashless transactions more widely.
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