Indian Railways has introduced a passenger-friendly change in identification rules for people travelling together on a single ticket, easing verification requirements during journeys. Under the revised guideline, passengers booked on the same PNR will no longer need to show separate identity cards individually. Officials said the move is aimed at simplifying ticket checks, reducing inconvenience for families and groups, and making the verification process quicker, especially during peak travel seasons when trains carry heavy passenger loads across the network.
Single ID Enough
Every day, millions of people travel by train across India for work, education, tourism and family visits. During holidays and festive seasons, it is common for families or groups of friends to travel together using a single booking reference, known as a PNR.
Under the new rule, when multiple passengers are travelling on one PNR, only one person in the group needs to carry a valid identity card. Earlier, ticket checking staff could ask each passenger to produce identification, which often caused delays and inconvenience, particularly when elderly passengers or children were travelling together.
Railway officials said the change has been made to make travel smoother and to avoid unnecessary difficulty during onboard verification. The rule will apply to passengers whose tickets are booked together under the same reservation record.
Valid ID Still Mandatory For At Least One Passenger
According to the revised guideline, if up to six passengers are travelling on a single ticket, at least one of them must carry a valid government-issued identity document. Acceptable ID proofs include Aadhaar card, voter ID, passport, PAN card or any other officially recognised identification.
Ticket examiners will verify the group using the ID shown by one passenger, and the remaining travellers listed on the ticket will be considered verified under the same document. However, officials have clarified that the identity proof must be genuine and valid, and passengers should be ready to show it when asked during inspection.
Railways said the change will make ticket checking faster and more efficient while offering greater convenience to families travelling together, particularly on long-distance routes and during busy travel periods.
