e-ticketing-for-accredited-journalist-on-concessional-passes-launched

E-Ticketing For Accredited Journalist On Concessional Passes launched

Launch of E-ticket booking facility for accredited Journalists on concessional Passes.

As promised in Railway Budget 2025-24, Indian Railways proudly announce the launch of e-booking service for journalist to reserve tickets on the concessional passes available to them.

Till now the facility for journalist to book the ticket on concessional passes was available only on the PRS counters. With this launch the facility has been extended to book ticket over internet using the Indian Railway’s E-ticketing System www.irctc.co.in.

Using this service, journalist can easily book the ticket over internet and can avoid the problem of standing in long queues in PRS counters. To avail the benefits of this feature the journalist has to use his/her registered id card number issued by Indian Railways (as is done for PRS counter booking) to book the ticket for oneself, or for spouse, children or companion.

Following is the process flow for performing the Journalist e-booking

Step 1- Selection of “Book in special concession” option

Information about the documents that are required to be carried while performing the journey will be displayed.

Step 2 – Plan your Journey

Step 3 – Provide Passenger Detail

Step 4 – Make Payment

Step 5 – Directed to Bank Site

Step 6 – Journalist Ticket Confirmation

Step 7 – Booked Ticket – ERS

Step 8 – Booked Ticket – SMS

Source : PIB

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the e-ticket booking facility for accredited journalists on concessional passes, as launched by Indian Railways:

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Launch & Context

• The e-ticketing facility for journalists holding concessional passes was officially launched on March 15, 2025 by then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, fulfilling a commitment from the Railway Budget 2025–17
• Prior to this, journalists could only book concessional tickets at PRS counters, which often involved long waits. The new system enables online booking via IRCTC, streamlining the process significantly

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Who’s Eligible & How It Works

• Eligible Users: Only accredited journalists with a valid registered ID card number issued by Indian Railways can use this system — the same ID used earlier at PRS counters
• Booking Process Steps:
  1. Log in on the IRCTC e-ticketing portal (www.irctc.co.in).
  2. Select the “Book in special concession” option.
  3. Enter journey details and passenger info.
  4. Proceed to payment via bank portal.
  5. Receive ticket confirmation and ERS (Electronic Reservation Slip).
  6. You’ll also get an SMS with ticket details.

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Benefits for Journalists

Benefit	Details
No more queueing	Book tickets online — no need to visit PRS counters.
Accessible anytime	Use IRCTC portal anytime, subject to booking windows.
Fast confirmations	Receive ERS and SMS immediately upon booking.

These features support journalists’ need for frequent travel with better efficiency and flexibility.

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To Sum It Up

• What’s New? Journalists can now conveniently book concessional rail tickets online using their registered journalist ID.
• How? Through IRCTC’s website — by choosing the “Book in special concession” option and following the booking flow.
• Why It Matters? This streamlines an age-old process, saving time and effort for the media community.

Let me know if you’d like step-by-step help logging in, completing a booking, or anything else related to IRCTC concessions!