Govind Tekale
If you’re traveling home for Diwali or Chhath this October on a concession ticket, quota reservation or railway pass, what you carry determines whether your travel authority remains valid. Central Railway’s month-long intensive ticket checking campaign runs from 1 to 31 October 2026 across its network.
Central Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer Dr Swapnil Nila announced the drive. Ticket examiners equipped with Handheld Terminals will check passengers traveling on concession entitlements — senior citizen discounts, disability quotas, student concessions and railway pass travel including E-Passes and Privilege Ticket Orders. The campaign specifically targets passengers using these categories. Where one ticket covers multiple passengers, if no one on that booking can produce the required original identity documentation, all passengers on that PNR may be treated as travelling without a valid ticket and penalties imposed on all. The minimum penalty for travelling without a valid ticket was increased to Rs 500, effective from June 2026.
If the required documentation cannot be produced, passengers travelling on concession or quota tickets may be treated as travelling without a valid ticket and could face a fine under railway rules. Passengers on concession or quota bookings should carry both their original eligibility documentation and a valid government-issued photo identity document.
What Counts as Valid ID — and the DigiLocker Question
Government photo identification documents for Indian Railways generally include Aadhaar card, voter ID, passport, driving licence and PAN card, among others. For the purposes of this drive, the Central Railway directive uses the word “original.” Passengers should carry the prescribed physical original document unless Central Railway expressly confirms that digital documentation from DigiLocker qualifies for this particular checking drive.
Passengers traveling on Privilege Ticket Orders must ensure the PTO has been properly exchanged for a valid journey ticket at a booking counter before travel begins. Boarding on a PTO that has not been exchanged for the required travel authority may mean the document is not valid for travel under this drive.
For a guide to [which documents Indian Railways accepts for different concession categories](/indian-railways-id-documents-guide), and what to do if your [IRCTC booking details don’t match the name on your ID](/irctc-name-mismatch-how-to-fix), both have practical information on Karmactive.
Central Railway’s enforcement drive concludes 31 October 2026. Any official statistics on the drive’s outcomes would be published by Central Railway through its CPRO.
