Railway pass holders can now travel in a class higher than their entitlement on Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi Express trains by paying the applicable fare difference, following a clarification issued by the Railway Board. The decision applies to holders of Privilege Passes, Post Retirement Complimentary Passes and Widow Passes.
The clarification resolves an ambiguity in the Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986, which govern free and concessional train travel for railway employees, their families and dependants. The Railway Board issued the clarification after considering the matter in consultation with its Commercial Directorate.
Under the clarified provision, holders of PP, PRCP and WP passes may use a premium train while travelling in a class higher than the one to which they are entitled, provided they pay the applicable difference in fare. The order supersedes all previous instructions relating to travel entitlements under passes and Privilege Ticket Orders, according to the report.
The issue had created uncertainty over whether railway employees and pensioners could pay the fare difference and travel in a higher class on premium services using complimentary passes. The board has now stated that the practice is permissible under Rule 3(x) of Schedule-II of the Railway Servants (Pass) Rules, 1986.
The clarification also assigns a technology implementation task to the Centre for Railway Information Systems. The Railway Board has directed CRIS to make the necessary changes to the Passenger Reservation System and the e-Pass module of the Human Resource Management System with immediate effect.
The change means eligible pass holders will have a defined route to access higher-class accommodation on some of the railways’ premium services without treating the higher entitlement as automatically complimentary. The fare difference remains payable under the clarified procedure.
The order covers three categories of pass holders: employees and eligible users holding Privilege Passes, retired railway personnel covered by Post Retirement Complimentary Passes, and beneficiaries using Widow Passes. The report does not specify any change to the underlying entitlement attached to each pass category.
The clarification is therefore focused on how an existing entitlement can be used when a passenger seeks to travel in a higher class. Its immediate operational effect will depend on the updated rules being reflected in the reservation and e-Pass systems. CRIS has been asked to complete those system changes with immediate effect.
