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New Delhi: Rishi Kumar, who works in Delhi and frequently visits his village in Bihar, will get the facility that he will be able to catch his train from any station between the booked place and the last place, so that he can plan his journey as per his convenience and needs.
Expressing his opinion on this step, Kumar told ETV Bharat, ‘This new step will help the passengers, especially long distance travelers and tourists. Many people book their tickets in advance, but their travel plans may change later. Earlier they did not always have the option to change their boarding station and they had to board from the original station only.
With this new system, passengers will get another chance to board the train from the station as per their updated schedule. This will make the journey easier and reduce unnecessary stress. Kumar said, ‘I have often seen that we book tickets in advance, but later we may have to go to another place for important work.
At such a time, if I get the option to catch a train from a station near my place on the way, it would be very helpful. This will save me extra time and also the extra money spent in going back to the original boarding station. Explaining the benefits of having an additional option to board the train, Uttar Pradesh resident and traveler Kavita Sharma told ETV Bharat, ‘It is always better for passengers like me to have an additional option.
This allows us to choose the nearest boarding station instead of traveling long distances to the origin station. He explained, ‘Travelling with a lot of luggage and children is not easy for a family. If we get a chance to catch a train from a nearby station instead of going to a big junction, it will definitely make our journey much easier.
It is proposed to extend the facility of changing the boarding point till the preparation of the second reservation chart, earlier the passengers who had booked the reservation could change their boarding station only till the preparation of the first reservation chart. Since the first chart is now prepared 10-20 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, many passengers found it difficult to make last-minute changes to their travel plans.
Passengers can change their boarding station closer to departure time. Last minute changes to travel arrangements can be made more easily. Mukesh Sharma, another passenger and resident of Delhi, told ETV Bharat, ‘This system is useful for long distance train travel.
Sometimes people go to meet their relatives on the way and want to catch a train from a nearby station instead of going back to their original boarding station but if the journey is just 200-300 km, changing the boarding station is not of much help.’
Before using this option, passengers should understand how it works and what benefits they can get from it. Some people use it without proper knowledge and create problems during their journey. The boarding station can be changed not at the new station but at the original boarding station before the second chart is prepared.
Passengers can choose any station as their new boarding point. Once the boarding station is changed, they will have to board the train from the new station only, provided they have a valid ticket from the original station. Describing the system, a senior railway official told ETV Bharat, ‘Many times passengers do not understand the system properly.
They change their boarding station but then try to board the train from the earlier station. In such a situation, they are not able to get their seat because the Railways can give the seat to another passenger till the changed boarding station. The official said, ‘Earlier, if a passenger with a reserved seat did not come to one or two stations, the TTE would give the seat to another passenger, but now the ticket checker will be able to take a decision by checking the current status on the hand holding device.’
As per Railway rules, if after applying for change of boarding point, a passenger requests to board from the original boarding point instead of the changed boarding point, then in that case, if space is available from the original boarding point to the changed boarding point, then the passenger will be given vacant space without fare payment, and if the space is not available, then the passenger will not be allowed to board the reserved coach in which The place was originally booked.
If passengers wish to board the train from any other station en route and take up space, they may be permitted to do so, provided: 1) Before preparation of reservation chart for the train, a specific request is made by making an application to the Chief Reservation Supervisor/Reservation Supervisor on duty at any Computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) center during working hours or through IRCTC website or 139.
2) According to Railways, this facility is available for tickets booked from computerized PRS counters as well as for tickets booked through the internet. 3) It states that the train is booked to stop at the station where the passenger wishes to board and that station falls en route to the starting and ending stations mentioned on the ticket.
4) If necessary, there is no problem in using accommodation from the originating station to the station where the passenger has to board. No refund will be claimed for the portion of the journey that has not been completed. According to Railways, if the boarding point is changed within 24 hours of the departure of the train, then under normal circumstances no refund will be given. However, in special circumstances like train cancellation, coach not being available, train running late by more than three hours, normal refund rules will be applicable.