Booking train tickets for friends & relatives will land you in jail? Know the truth here

People book their train tickets online by visiting the IRCTC website or using their apps.

However, recently, there was a viral rumor on social media claiming that using your IRCTC ID to book tickets for someone else could lead to legal trouble.

This caused concern among many IRCTC users. The report claimed that you could be jailed for booking tickets for your friends, relatives or any other person with a different surname.

In a major relief, IRCTC has finally clarified the rumours through its official social media account X that this rumor is false. 

They explained that users are allowed to book tickets for individuals with different surnames using their IRCTC ID.

The news in circulation on social media about restriction in booking of e-tickets due to different surname is false and misleading. pic.twitter.com/xu3Q7uEWbX

— IRCTC (@IRCTCofficial) June 25, 2024

IRCTC also outlined the rules for booking e-tickets:

• Users can book tickets for friends, family, or relatives using their personal ID.
• There's no restriction on booking tickets for people with different surnames.
• A maximum of 12 tickets can be booked per month with a personal ID. If another traveler in the group has an Aadhaar-authenticated ID, up to 24 tickets can be booked per month.
• Tickets booked using personal IDs cannot be sold commercially for profit.

Users need to follow these guidelines and avoid spreading false information.