The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has rubbished rumours regarding e-ticket booking restrictions. In a statement, IRCTC clarified that claims suggesting passengers with different surnames cannot book tickets together were entirely "false and misleading."
According to IRCTC, tickets can be booked on personal user IDs for friends, family, and relatives without surname-related constraints. They clarified that bookings are conducted according to Railway Board Guidelines, which are publicly accessible.
The IRCTC said that users can book tickets for up to 12 persons per month. If the booking is done by Aadhaar-authenticated users and at least one passenger on the ticket is also Aadhaar-authenticated, this limit extends to 24 tickets.
Users are also warned not to use their user IDs for commercial purposes. This is strictly prohibited under Section 143 of the Railways Act, 1989, and can lead to legal consequences. Only authorised agents are permitted to book tickets for commercial use.
This clarification came amid rumours that booking train tickets for friends or relatives with different surnames could lead to jail time or hefty fines under Section 143.
The alleged "new rules" claimed one could book tickets only for those with blood relations or the same surname using a personal ID, with penalties of up to 3 years in jail or ₹10,000 as fine for non-compliance. However, these claims have been thoroughly debunked.
In reality, Section 143 of the Indian Railways Act targets unauthorised ticketing businesses, not personal bookings. Indian Railways has not issued any such order restricting ticket bookings.