Indian Railways — E booking and waiting list regarding

Elangovan Nagarajan

from Bengaluru, Karnataka

Address:	560076
Website:	[email protected]

Sir,

I ( N Elangovan, Mobile No:[protected], Age 54 ) intended to travel on 26 Jun 2017 through Ernakulum Bangalore ( Intercity express). My son was checking for a Tatkal availability and he booked a ticket on 25 Jun 2017 at 11 AM through IRCTCI mobile app which was a waiting list unfortunately.
I received a message from DM-IRCTCI promptly at 25 Jun 2017 1t 11.23 Am that
PNR:[protected] Train:12678 DOJ[protected]S, CBE-SBC Dep 12:50 Elangovan N RLWL117 fare 155, SC:0.0+PG+INS
Neither my son nor I am aware that e waiting list is not authorized ticket to travel it get cancelled automatically after the third day and Railways will refund the amount his account.
Due to our ignorance I have travelled with the SMS and I have paid penalty as a ticketless traveler.
Today I received a SMS from DM-IRCTCI at 27 Jun 2017 1t 13.45 Pm that
PNR:[protected] ticket cancelled amt 95 will be refunded in your account within three days . Please check your account /instruments from which this tkt was booked.
I highly appreciate the prompt service by IRCTCI

When the ticket was booked on Tatkal service a day before actual journey the money was deducted ( Rs 155/-. when the refund was done after four days is Rs. 95/ after deduction of cancellation charges.
I have paid Rs 430 (Fare ( Rs 180/ towards fair (the unreserved open ticket is Rs 150/) + excess Fare Rs 250).
I was travelling in the unreserved compartment and the TTE levied the excess fare from at Tirupur Station.
My question to Indian Railways and authorities is
1. if the booking tool is updated with the logic of not booking a ticket when the user is trying to book the ticket on Tatkal service and the status is waiting list above the specified limit to deny the booking rather than entertaining the user and leading to all complications thereafter.
2. Railways and authorities if made the system to generate the SMS about the ticket cancellation yesterday one hour before the departure of the train rather than today then I could have averted a ticket less travel and the humiliation what I faced in front of the co passengers.
3. If Railways and authorities made any additional intimation about the e-waiting list (waiting list shall be treated as passenger travelling without ticket) on the initial SMS would have averted all the complications.
4. If the eticket is invalid why the cancellation SMS messages is triggered on 27 Jun 2017. It should have before the commencement of the journey or on the same day of the booking 25 Jun 2017(since the booking was Tatkal in nature)
The IRCTCI and its authorities vision and mission is a fair service then you may think of improving the system.
Suggest you to publish the eTicket rules and regulations on the Railway premises promptly can improve the service better.
Hope the automated SMS messages are part of the service and its charges also inclusive of the booking & cancellation charges levied from the passengers.
Logically Money is deducted on 25 Jun 2017 at 11:23 Am for the e booking ticket.
Ticket cancellation intimation is updated to the user after the journey date ie 27 Jun 2017 at 13:45.
Railways collected Rs 155/- for the invalid ticket from the moment it was booked and collected penalty Rs 430 for the same journey and trying to refund after 04 days. I just want to know in the entire transactions my money Rs 585/- was with Railways authorities from the time when I paid the penalty.
Logically the ticket is cancelled on 27 Jun 2016 (per SMS update) for which the penalty is levied on 26 Jun 2017 even the Indian Railways and its authorities not bothered to update the passenger about the etaicket waiting list invalidity through the basic mode of SMS which they communicated in both the cases.
On the second SMS it is evident (Please check your account /instruments from which this tkt was booked) the system and the authority is aware that the first party who booked the ticket is not travelling and the SMS what they communicate is partial.
Due to Railway authorities system flaw I have been humiliated as a ticketless traveler by the TTE and paid penalty. I have attached the excess fair ticket for your ready reference.
I request you to do a justification with due diligence and modify the system immediate so that passengers suffering in future can be avoided.

+1 photos

Was this information helpful?

No (0)

Yes (0)

Indian Railways customer support has been notified about the posted complaint.

Jul 04, 2017

Updated by Elangovan Nagarajan suggestions

1. Ewait list ticket should be considered as a unreserved open ticket.
2. If Indian railways want to treat the ewaitlist ticket as a null and void then they should update about the cancellation well before the commencement of the journey through SMS.
3. The booking tool should be updated with the logic of not booking a ticket when the user is trying to book the ticket on Tatkal service and the status is waiting list above the specified limit to deny the booking rather than entertaining the user and leading to all complications thereafter.
4. If Railways authorities updated the additional intimation about the e-waiting list (e-waiting list shall be treated as passenger travelling without ticket if found in train) on the initial SMS can avert all the complications.
5. Indian Railways and authorities should have update the system to generate the SMS about the ticket validity immediate or the cancellation intimation at least an hour before the departure of the train could avert a ticket less travel of a customer.
6. If Railways & authorities treat the e-wait list ticket as a invalid one then why the cancellation SMS messages is getting triggered a day after the journey. It clearly indicates a foul play here on the system. Cancellation should have been before the commencement of the journey or on the same day of the booking (if the booking is Tatkal in nature)
7. The fare levied ( Rs180) is higher than the normal open (unreserved) ticket (Rs 150) having no valid reason.
8. The excess fare (Rs250 In my case) levied by the TTE on the invalid e-waitlist is purely due to the flaw of the Railway ticket booking system and the authorities who intentionally kept the customer in dark.
9. Indian Railways has many laurels if they pay attention on few issues which are recursive one like e-wait list can better the experience of the travel.
10. I request the authorities to refund the excess fare levied and amend the flaws in the booking system along with publishing the basic regulations of the e ticket booking on all the Raiway premises. Low priced guides lines on e booking also can be retailed at your booking counter out let to bring in more awareness to the customers.