Indian Railways has warned that train tickets shared through WhatsApp will not be accepted during ticket-verification checks. According to the railway’s guidance, passengers are expected to present a valid ticket that can be produced on their registered device or otherwise verified as belonging to them. The railways also states that passengers who cannot show the ticket in the required manner, or who cannot establish their identity during the check, may be treated as travelling without a valid ticket. In such cases, passengers could face penalties under railway rules. The warning is aimed at preventing misuse of ticket screenshots or forwarded messages that may not match verification systems or passenger identity records. The railways’ position effectively means that simply having a forwarded digital image or message of a ticket on a phone is not sufficient if it cannot be verified and linked to the passenger’s registered information. Passengers are therefore directed to keep their tickets available through the proper channels and ensure they can present the ticket details and identification when requested by railway staff.