Indian Railways starts direct ticket sales at Mathahi station

Indian Railways has officially commenced direct ticket sales at Mathahi station as part of a wider strategic push to install Automatic Ticket Vending Machines across all railway stations in Bihar. This initiative aims to reduce crowding at traditional ticket counters and improve overall efficiency.

Passengers travelling through the region can now benefit from easier access to ticketing services. This development is part of ongoing nationwide updates designed to make booking train journeys smoother and more transparent for everyone.

Key updates for railway passengers include:
- Direct ticket sales have started at Mathahi station to ease station congestion.
- Digital booking discounts introduced on January 13, 2026, offer a 3% discount on general tickets plus an extra 3% cashback for R-wallet users.
- Anti-fraud measures announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on March 24, 2026, target ticket black marketing.
- Over 3 crore suspicious accounts have been removed, and train chart preparation time has been extended to a window between 9 and 18 hours.
- Aadhaar verification is now mandatory for all Tatkal bookings to prevent illegal software usage by agents.

Enhancing Passenger Convenience and Transparency

The rollout at Mathahi station is part of a larger plan that gained significant momentum by August 3, 2025. By modernising station infrastructure and expanding self-service options, Indian Railways is working to optimize staff deployment and cut down waiting times for commuters.

Recent policy changes also focus heavily on digital adoption and fair access. The special incentives for mobile app and R-wallet users encourage travellers to move away from long physical queues. Meanwhile, stricter security protocols such as Aadhaar verification for Tatkal tickets ensure that genuine passengers get fair access to confirmed seats during peak travel seasons.