Sir,

It is given to understand that Indian Railways has made a robust shift to digital transactions through e-ticket booking facility. A passenger has the flexibility to book rail tickets at ease through a website and mobile app. The e-ticket is delivered through SMS/ e-mail and acts as a valid authority with necessary id-proof while travelling.

Further, many passengers still rely on e-ticket print-outs on physical paper and carry the same along with them while traveling. It is given to understand that facility to print e-tickets on a paper is still optionally enabled, apart from the facility of SMS/ e-mail confirmations sent to the passengers. Thus it is high time now to put a complete stop on physical printing of e-tickets only for those users registered on IRCTC web portal/ mobile application.

Indian Railways should otherwise incentivise passengers to carry only SMS/ e-mail based e-ticket confirmations along with valid id proof instead of ill-conceived idea yet of printing physical e-tickets on a paper.

The suggestion will help Indian Railways to reduce carbon footprint by encouraging passengers to go paper-free extensively while travelling on reserved tickets.

Indian Railways will otherwise inch closer to achieve its sustainable goals by encouraging passengers to use paper-free e-tickets completely.

The Railways will stand to gain immensely through such a major step aimed towards conservation of environment and thus save trees.

– Varun Dambal, Bengaluru, 1.1.2020

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