People often use the same general ticket to hop onto a different train, before reaching their destination station.
Rail travel is one of the most common modes of commutation all over the world. Be it in a general coach, AC or sleeper coach, there are thousands of passengers travelling by train in India daily. Statistical data shows that in 2020, Indian Railways carried 808.6 crore passengers, showing that it is very much the lifeline of the country. There is usually no prior reservation needed to travel in a general compartment, and one can just purchase a ticket from the station counter.
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A lot of people use the same general ticket to hop onto a different train, before reaching their destination. There is, however, a guideline laid down by Indian Railways on how many times one can change trains and get into the general coach of another with the same ticket. These rules are not known by a large section of people. We are here to provide some clarity on it. Read on.
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If it is an express train or a long distance train, there is no question of getting down and boarding another train, even if it is with a general ticket. The rule states that one can travel only on the train that they have purchased the ticket for. Some people do change trains; but if caught, they are liable to be heavily penalised. It is thus advised that one should avoid changing trains on a general ticket.
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For local trains, there is some amount of flexibility. Whenever a ticket is purchased, the name of the station and time of purchase are written on it. The general ticket has a time limit, after which it becomes invalid. If someone is buying a general ticket at a city station like Delhi or Mumbai, its validity is only for 1 hour. This means that one needs to catch any train and leave from there within 1 hour. If it is a station in a small town, then one can get 3 hours to leave the station on a general ticket.
