When the ticket checker comes calling, you can now just flash the text message on your mobile phone from the Railways, along with a valid identity proof.
About 11 crore passengers use train e-tickets every year. Enthused by this, the Indian Railways has permitted SMS sent by Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) containing ticket reservation details as an instrument on par with e-ticket. This is effective February 1, said an official release.
Apart from being user-friendly for those on the move, this SMS ticket could potentially increase Indian Railways' green initiative , reducing dependence on paper.
The SMS should have been sent by Indian Railways' subsidiary, Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). It should contain key ticket details like PNR, train number, date of journey, class of travel, name and number of passengers, coach, seat number, and fare paid.
The SMS will also have to be displayed during ticket checking on train and stations. If the passenger fails to display this SMS due to any eventuality but has the prescribed proof of identity, a penalty of Rs 50 a ticket will be levied.
In July 2011, the Railways permitted the screen shot of the e-ticket displayed through laptops, palmtops and mobile phones instead of e-ticket printouts.
The list of valid proofs of identity to be produced in original during the course of on-board and off-board checking are: Voter photo identity card issued by the Election Commission of India, Passport, PAN card issued by Income-Tax Department, Driving Licence issued by RTO, photo identity card having serial number issued by Central/State Government, Student Identity Card with photograph issued by recognised school/college for their students, nationalised bank passbook with photographs, credit cards issued by banks with laminated photographs, unique identification printout — Aadhaar.
mamuni@thehindu.co.in