Showing your train ticket on WhatsApp may not be enough; here's what Railways says

New Delhi: Think forwarding your train ticket to WhatsApp is enough? Indian Railways says it isn't, at least for unreserved tickets booked through the RailOne app. The Railways has clarified that an unreserved ticket booked through the RailOne app is valid only on the registered mobile phone on which it was originally issued. In other words, a ticket shown through WhatsApp, a screenshot or any other copied version is not treated as a valid travel authority during inspection. Passengers travelling on an unreserved RailOne app ticket must carry the same registered mobile phone used to book the ticket. They are also required to carry a valid photo identity card, which may be asked for by ticket-checking staff. The clarification is intended to prevent the misuse of digital tickets through forwarding, copying or sharing with other users. Importantly, the rule applies only to unreserved tickets booked through the RailOne app. It does not mean that every digital railway ticket displayed on a mobile phone is invalid. The ticket must simply be presented in the manner prescribed by Indian Railways for that particular category of travel. Passengers who fail to produce the ticket on the registered device or cannot establish their identity may be treated as travelling without a valid ticket and could face penalties under the Railway ticketing rules. With digital ticketing becoming the norm, railway authorities have advised passengers to keep the mobile phone used for booking charged and accessible throughout the journey and to carry a government-issued photo identity card to avoid inconvenience during ticket checks.