Pathanamthitta: There is a growing number of incidents where passengers mistakenly treat the invoice (bill) received while booking tickets in advance for travel in general coaches as the actual ticket. This confusion stems from a system introduced by the Railways to enable reimbursement of ticket fares.

Recently, all train travel-related services were integrated into a single app called “Rail One.” As part of this shift, services of the earlier Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) mobile app were also moved to Rail One. Since then, disputes between passengers and TTEs have become frequent, mainly due to passengers presenting invoices instead of valid tickets.

Many passengers who book unreserved tickets through the app and later approach TTEs to upgrade to sleeper or AC classes often show only the invoice. When TTEs point out that this is not a valid ticket, passengers respond that the ticket was booked by someone else and shared with them. TTEs then have to explain that the invoice is not a ticket and, in many cases, impose fines.

Although the invoice clearly mentions at the bottom that it is not a travel ticket, most passengers fail to read this. In the earlier UTS app, such invoices were not issued at the time of booking. The introduction of this invoice system in Rail One has led to the confusion that it is a ticket.

Moreover, screenshots of tickets cannot be taken in the Rail One app. While booking, a sharing option appears, which many assume is meant for sharing the ticket, adding to the confusion. In reality, the app currently offers only a paperless ticket option.

Need for time restriction

Allowing the invoice to be generated only after the journey time has elapsed could help reduce this issue to some extent. The Railways should also undertake proper awareness campaigns, prevent misuse of invoices, and introduce necessary changes, said P. Krishnakumar, General Secretary of the Thrissur Railway Passengers Association.