Indian Railways has made identity verification compulsory for passengers travelling on reserved trains operating in international border areas, including routes serving Nepal and Bangladesh.
The move, announced by the Ministry of Railways, aims to strengthen security on sensitive routes.
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What the new ID rule says
In a letter dated February 4, 2026, the Railway Board informed all zonal railways that during travel in a reserved class, at least one passenger must carry and produce an original, prescribed identity proof. If no valid ID is shown, all passengers on the ticket will be treated as travelling without a valid ticket.
The Railway Board also clarified that passengers who have booked tickets under any special quota or availed concessions must carry valid documents to prove their eligibility. In a circular dated February 6, 2026, the board directed strict enforcement of these rules, especially in areas near international borders such as Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bangladesh routes.
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Passengers travelling on reserved tickets are required to carry one of the approved identity proofs during the journey.
These include:
Voter ID
Passport
PAN card
Driving licence
Aadhaar card
Government-issued photo ID
Student ID card,
Bank passbook with a photograph
