New Delhi: Important update for passengers travelling with their children via train. According to the reports Indian Railways has made a major change in the rules related to booking tickets for children keeping passenger convenience in mind. Now children below 5 years of age can travel without a ticket — but there’s a catch. If you want a separate seat or berth for your child you’ll have to pay the full fare.

It is important to note that earlier many people were confused about how to book tickets for children when half fare applies and what the No Seat/No Berth (NOSB) option means. IRCTC has now clarified all these rules to ensure passengers dont face any inconvenience during booking.
Here are some of the key features:

Under the new rules passengers must pay closer attention to the child’s age seat options and fare category — otherwise the ticket may get canceled or result in a penalty.
Indian Railways has set specific age-based rules for children’s ticketing to make the booking process easier for passengers.
If your child is below 5 years of age they are allowed to travel without a ticket — but only if you don’t request a separate seat or berth for them.
If the child travels in your lap no ticket is required. However if you want a separate seat or berth for the child you’ll need to pay the full adult fare.
For children between 5 and 12 years of age the rule is slightly different.
If a child in this age group does not require a separate berth or seat (that is you select the “No Seat/No Berth – NOSB” option) they are allowed to travel on a half ticket.
If you want a separate berth for the same child you’ll need to pay the full adult fare.
Children above 12 years of age are considered full adults by Indian Railways and their ticket fares are the same as those of regular adult passengers.
It’s very important to enter the correct age of the child and choose the appropriate seat option while booking otherwise the ticket may get canceled or a penalty may be imposed.

It is important to note that those who are planning to travel by train with children they must enter the correct age of your child while booking the ticket. If they accidentally enter the wrong age on the IRCTC website or app the ticket may later be considered invalid.