Indian Railways Makes ID Proof Mandatory For Reserved Travel In Nepal And Bangladesh Border Areas

New Delhi: In a bid to strengthen security measures, the Indian Railways has now made identity verification compulsory for passengers travelling with fully reserved tickets across international border areas, including Nepal and Bangladesh.

The Railway Board recently instructed all zonal railways to ensure that at least one passenger produces an original ID proof during reserved train journeys. Failure to comply with the same will lead to the passenger being treated as travelling without a ticket, the Railway Board reportedly said in a letter dated February 2.

"Any passenger availing concessions or booking a ticket under the quota earmarked for a specific category of passengers will be required to produce a valid proof to establish his/her genuineness and the claim for the facility of concession/ reservation quota availed," the letter added.

It also instructed that compliance with the aforementioned measure should be more strictly implemented in border areas. "It is desired that these instructions may be reiterated to all concerned for strict compliance, especially in the areas serving the international borders, e.g. Indo-Nepal, Indo- Bangladesh, etc.," it said.

The list of valid identity proofs which can be produced during the journey will include the Voter Photo Identity Card issued by the Election Commission of India, Passport, PAN Card issued by Income Tax Department, Driving Licence issued by the RTO, Photo identity card having a serial number issued by Central/State Government, Nationalised Bank Passbook with a photograph, and Aadhaar card. Passengers are suggested to carry at least one of the items, after the newly released mandate by the Indian Railways.

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