Mobile Tickets Not Enough: Printed Copy Now Mandatory for Indian Railways Unreserved Travel

In a decisive move to combat growing digital fraud, the Indian Railways has introduced a significant change in its ticket verification process.

Effective immediately, passengers can no longer rely solely on showing unreserved tickets on their mobile phones. Instead, carrying a physical printout of the ticket has now become mandatory.

This step comes as part of the railways’ ongoing efforts to plug loopholes being exploited through technology misuse.

Why the Focus on Physical Copies?

The Indian Railways’ decision comes amid growing concerns about artificial intelligence being misused to replicate official train tickets.

Recent incidents have highlighted how AI-powered tools can generate fake tickets that appear legitimate, putting both passenger safety and railway revenue at risk.

Officials noted that such fraudulent activity undermines the trust and security of the ticketing system, prompting stricter verification protocols.

The change was triggered by a case on the Jaipur route, where ticket-checking staff discovered a group of students traveling with mobile tickets.

At first glance, the tickets appeared authentic—the QR codes scanned correctly, and all travel and fare details seemed legitimate.

However, further investigation revealed that these were fake tickets generated using AI tools, exposing a critical vulnerability in the mobile ticketing system.

What Passengers Need to Know

To prevent such frauds, Indian Railways has now made it compulsory for passengers to carry a printed copy of unreserved tickets issued through UTS (Unreserved Ticketing System), ATVMs (Automatic Ticket Vending Machines), or ticket counters.

The new rule does not apply to e-tickets or MT-CUT tickets, which will continue to be accepted digitally.Passengers are advised to comply with the updated regulations to avoid inconvenience during travel.

As technology advances, so do the methods of fraudsters. Indian Railways’ new rule is a proactive step to ensure that digital convenience does not compromise security.

For passengers, this means planning ahead and ensuring that unreserved tickets are printed before boarding, making travel safer and fraud-free.

Also Read: Indian Railways Announces Passenger Fare Hike from July 1