Train rules nobody tells you, and what they cost
The trouble with railway rules is not that they are hard. It is that you find out about them from a penalty. This is the same rulebook a regular traveller carries in their head, in the order the rules actually reach you — and it includes the half that works in your favour.
Tell us about your journey
We will show only the rules that can actually affect you.
When you book
1Decisions made here are the ones that cost money later.
Carry the ID you booked with
MinorOne passenger must carry the original photo ID whose number was entered at booking. A photo of it is not enough.
₹500, plus the fare
Commonly misunderstood. People assume the SMS or the PDF is the ticket. It is not — it is the receipt. The ID is the ticket.
More on thisAt the station
5Most on-the-spot fines are collected before you ever reach a coach.
A platform ticket is not a travel ticket
MinorA platform ticket lets you see someone off. Boarding on one makes you a ticketless traveller.
₹500, plus the fare
Commonly misunderstood. A platform ticket does allow you to board and then buy a ticket from the TTE — but only if you approach them first. Waiting to be caught is a different outcome.
More on thisNo smoking anywhere on the railway
SeriousSmoking on a train or anywhere on railway premises now carries a ₹2,000 fine.
₹2,000
Commonly misunderstood. Standing at the open door or in the vestibule is not an exemption. There is no smoking area anywhere on Indian Railways property.
More on thisNever carry inflammable or dangerous goods
CriminalGas cylinders, petrol, fireworks, acids and similar goods carry a minimum ₹10,000 fine and can mean imprisonment.
₹10,000, up to 6 months in prison
Commonly misunderstood. A small sealed cylinder is not a lesser offence. The rule is about the category of goods, not the quantity.
More on thisBook excess luggage before you board
Excess booked in advance costs 1.5 times the luggage rate. The same excess found unbooked costs six times.
More on thisUnauthorised selling and begging
SeriousHawking or begging on a train or platform carries ₹2,000, and ₹5,000 if repeated.
₹2,000, ₹5,000 if repeated
More on thisGetting on
3The rules about which train, which coach, and which station.
The ticket is for one train, on one date
MinorA reserved ticket is valid only for the train and date printed on it. Boarding a different train makes you ticketless on that train.
₹500, plus the fare
Commonly misunderstood. Many people believe a same-route train later that day will honour the ticket. It will not, and the TTE has no discretion to allow it.
More on thisSitting in a higher class than you paid for
MinorOccupying a better class than your ticket means paying the fare difference plus a penalty.
₹500, plus the fare
More on thisBoard at the station on your ticket
If you plan to board somewhere else, change the boarding point in advance — you may now do so up to 30 minutes before departure.
Commonly misunderstood. Boarding further down the line is not automatically allowed just because you paid for the whole journey. The record has to say so.
More on thisOn the train
7Your seat, your neighbours, and what the TTE can and cannot do.
Your berth is held for a while if you are late
Your rightIf you miss your boarding station, your berth is not handed to a waitlisted passenger immediately.
Commonly misunderstood. People assume a missed boarding station means the berth is gone that instant. It usually is not, which is worth knowing when a connection runs late.
More on thisThe middle berth comes down at 10 PM
Your rightA middle berth may be kept open for sleeping only between 10 PM and 6 AM. Outside those hours it stays folded.
Commonly misunderstood. Middle berth holders often think they must ask permission to sleep. They do not, after 10 PM. Lower berth holders often think they own the seat all night. They do not.
More on thisLower berths go to those who need them
Your rightLower berths are allotted automatically to senior citizens and to women travelling alone, where available.
More on thisYour allotted berth is yours
Your rightNobody may occupy your reserved berth, including waitlisted or RAC passengers, unless the TTE has reallocated it.
More on thisThe alarm chain is for emergencies only
CriminalPulling the chain without a proper reason is a criminal offence, not a fine you shrug off.
₹1,000, up to 1 year in prison
Commonly misunderstood. It is widely treated as a way to stop the train for a late passenger. That use is exactly what the offence covers.
More on thisDrinking and nuisance on board
CostlyDrunken behaviour, abusive language, spitting or creating a nuisance carries ₹1,000, more if repeated.
₹1,000 to ₹5,000
More on thisDoorways, footboards and roofs
MinorTravelling on the footboard, between coaches or on the roof is an offence as well as the most common way passengers die.
₹500
More on thisAfter 10 PM
3A separate set of rules applies at night, and most of them are in your favour.
Main lights off at 10 PM
Your rightAfter 10 PM the main lights go off and only the night lamp stays on.
More on thisThe TTE should not wake you after 10 PM
Your rightOnce you are settled on a confirmed berth, ticket checking should not disturb you between 10 PM and 6 AM.
Commonly misunderstood. Most passengers do not know this exists and submit to a 2 AM check that should not be happening.
More on thisNo loud music or calls after 10 PM
CostlyLoud conversation, speakerphone calls and card games after 10 PM are against the rules, not merely impolite.
₹1,000
More on thisGetting off
2Overshooting your station is a chargeable event, not a free one.
Travelling past your station
MinorStaying on beyond the station you paid for means paying the extra fare plus a penalty.
₹500, plus the fare
More on thisBreaking your journey
Your rightOn long journeys you may break the trip en route, within limits, without buying a new ticket.
More on thisJan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026
What changed on 1 July 2026
Most railway fines rose, several of them several-fold, and they can now be collected on the spot rather than through a court.
| Offence | Before | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Travelling without a valid ticket | ₹250 + fare | ₹500 + fare |
| Smoking on railway premises | ₹200 | ₹2,000 |
| Unauthorised hawking or begging | ₹1,000 | ₹2,000, ₹5,000 repeat |
| Drunkenness or nuisance | ₹500 | ₹1,000, up to ₹5,000 |
| Male passenger in a ladies coach | ₹500 | ₹2,500 |
| Carrying dangerous or inflammable goods | ₹1,000 | ₹10,000 + up to 6 months |
The full penalty schedule
Ranked by seriousness rather than by amount — an offence carrying imprisonment is a different category from an expensive one.
| Offence | Penalty | Section |
|---|---|---|
| The alarm chain is for emergencies only | ₹1,000, up to 1 year in prison | — |
| Never carry inflammable or dangerous goods | ₹10,000, up to 6 months in prison | s. 165 |
| Men may not enter a ladies coach | ₹2,500 | s. 162 |
| No smoking anywhere on the railway | ₹2,000 | — |
| Unauthorised selling and begging | ₹2,000, ₹5,000 if repeated | s. 144 |
| Drinking and nuisance on board | ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 | s. 145 |
| No loud music or calls after 10 PM | ₹1,000 | s. 145 |
| Carry the ID you booked with | ₹500, plus the fare | s. 137 |
| Declare children honestly | ₹500, plus the fare | s. 137 |
| A platform ticket is not a travel ticket | ₹500, plus the fare | s. 137 |
| The ticket is for one train, on one date | ₹500, plus the fare | s. 137 |
| Sitting in a higher class than you paid for | ₹500, plus the fare | s. 138 |
| Doorways, footboards and roofs | ₹500 | s. 147 |
| Travelling past your station | ₹500, plus the fare | s. 138 |
Section numbers refer to the Railways Act, 1989, and are shown only where sources agree. A dash means reporting on the 2026 amendment conflicts about which section was amended, and a wrong statutory reference is worse than none.
The half nobody publishes
What you are owed
Rules are not only things you can breach. Several exist purely to protect you, and most passengers never invoke them.
Your berth is held for a while if you are late
If you miss your boarding station, your berth is not handed to a waitlisted passenger immediately.
The middle berth comes down at 10 PM
A middle berth may be kept open for sleeping only between 10 PM and 6 AM. Outside those hours it stays folded.
Lower berths go to those who need them
Lower berths are allotted automatically to senior citizens and to women travelling alone, where available.
Your allotted berth is yours
Nobody may occupy your reserved berth, including waitlisted or RAC passengers, unless the TTE has reallocated it.
Main lights off at 10 PM
After 10 PM the main lights go off and only the night lamp stays on.
The TTE should not wake you after 10 PM
Once you are settled on a confirmed berth, ticket checking should not disturb you between 10 PM and 6 AM.
Bedding in AC classes
AC classes include bedding in the fare: two sheets, a blanket, a pillow and a towel per passenger.
Breaking your journey
On long journeys you may break the trip en route, within limits, without buying a new ticket.
Rules and fines, answered
What is the fine for travelling without a ticket in 2026?
₹500 plus the fare for the distance travelled, up from ₹250 before 1 July 2026. The increase came in under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, and the penalty can be collected on the spot.
Which railway fines went up in July 2026?
Ticketless travel rose from ₹250 to ₹500 plus fare, smoking from ₹200 to ₹2,000, hawking and begging to ₹2,000 with ₹5,000 for a repeat, drunkenness and nuisance to ₹1,000, entering a ladies coach to ₹2,500, and carrying dangerous goods to a minimum of ₹10,000 with up to six months' imprisonment.
Is an e-ticket valid without original ID?
No. At least one passenger must carry the original photo ID whose number was entered at booking. A photograph or photocopy is not accepted, and without it the entire ticket can be treated as invalid and every passenger charged as travelling without one.
What time can the middle berth be opened?
Between 10 PM and 6 AM. Outside those hours it stays folded so the lower berth passenger can sit upright. This works both ways: after 10 PM the middle berth holder does not need anyone's permission.
Can a TTE wake me at night to check my ticket?
Not if you boarded before 10 PM and are settled on a confirmed berth — ticket checking should not disturb you between 10 PM and 6 AM. A passenger who boards after 10 PM can be checked on boarding.
What happens if I board the wrong train?
Your ticket is valid only for the train and date printed on it, so you are ticketless on the train you actually boarded. There is no automatic transfer to a later train on the same route, and the TTE has no discretion to allow it.
What is the penalty for pulling the emergency chain?
Up to ₹1,000 and up to a year's imprisonment, because it is a criminal offence rather than a fine. Valid reasons are narrow: a medical emergency, a fire, a companion left behind at a station, or danger to the train. Missing your stop is not one.
Is bedding included in AC classes?
Yes. Two sheets, a blanket, a pillow and a towel per passenger are part of the AC fare. If they are not at your berth, ask the coach attendant — it is not an extra. Sleeper class does not include bedding.
First train journey coming up?
Work out when booking opens, and what your luggage and children will cost.