Indian Railways: Now Avail 'Half Ticket' for Children Through Online Booking - Details Here

New Delhi: Now, parents can avail 'Half Ticket' for their children through the online booking platform, eliminating the need for offline reservations, here are the details of this recent update and how it impacts passengers traveling with children.

Child Ticket Reservation: The recent update in Indian Railways' online reservation system allows passengers to book half tickets for children aged between 5 to 11 years through the IRCTC website. Previously, such tickets could only be obtained offline at railway stations. ACM (R) Harish Chaturvedi clarified that the fees for child seats remain unchanged, irrespective of the mode of booking. Notably, for children aged 1 to 10 years, the full seat fare is applicable.

Procedure for Online Booking of Children's Tickets: Railway's Deputy CCM (R) Atul Srivastava and reservation expert Ajay Kashmiri highlighted the new provision for online booking of children's tickets at half fare. Previously, if the tickets were not booked during the initial reservation or if a separate seat was not required, passengers had to physically visit the railway station to obtain half tickets. With the latest software update, this process has been streamlined, allowing for online booking of half tickets for children.

Rules for Children Traveling: According to railway rules, children aged 1 to 4 years can travel without a separate reservation, while those between 5 to 12 years are eligible for half tickets. However, if a separate berth is required for the child, the full fare must be paid. This change aligns with Indian Railways' commitment to making travel more accessible and efficient for families.

Online Ticket Booking Guide: To take advantage of the new online booking system, passengers can follow these steps:

1. Log in to the IRCTC website.
2. Select the boarding and destination stations.
3. Choose the preferred train.
4. Check ticket availability.
5. Fill in passenger details (name, age, gender, berth preference, and meal preference).
6. Proceed to payment and provide necessary details.
7. Once payment is completed, the online ticket booking is confirmed.
8. Ticket details will be sent via email or phone.

Required Documents for Online Booking: When booking tickets online, passengers are required to provide any of the following identification documents:

• Aadhar card
• Voter photo identity card
• Passport
• Driving license
• PAN card
• Central/State Government issued photo identity card
• Student ID card with photo
• Bank passbook with photo
• Laminated Photograph Credit Cards
• Photo ID with serial number

Passengers can now embrace the convenience of online booking for their children's tickets, saving time and effort in the process. 

Note: Travelers are encouraged to refer to official Indian Railways announcements and guidelines for the most up-to-date and accurate information on ticket reservation policies and procedures.