Passengers travelling on tatkal tickets must now carry their identity proof in original or face the prospect of being treated as ticket-less travellers and penalised.

Dogged with complaints of alleged irregularities in the 'tatkal scheme', Railways have directed that passengers travelling on such tickets must produce proof of their identity from February 11 onwards.

Any one of the passengers travelling in a group have to produce the ID proof "failing which all passengers travelling on the said ticket will be treated as travelling without tickets and will be charged excess fare and penalty as per rules", a statement issued in New Delhi said.

The identity proof could be a voter photo identity card, passport, PAN card, driving licence, photo identity card issued by central or state government, student identity card issued by recognised school/college, nationalised bank passbook with photograph and credit cards issued by banks with laminated photograph.

No identity proof is, however, required to be produced at the reservation counter while getting the tatkal ticket booked, it said.

The tatkal scheme was introduced in 1997, with the provision that passengers booking tickets would indicate their identity card number at the time of booking and would be required to carry the same card during the journey. This provision was subsequently withdrawn in August 2004.

Railway officials said the latest move was aimed at putting to end complaints of bulk booking and the role of touts in cornering such tickets.

Railways had last year also barred e-ticket agents from accessing online tatkal bookings from 8 AM to 9 AM, when booking commences for the day.

The move comes at a time when the railway ministry is understood to be considering a proposal to introduce 'tatkal trains' on busy routes, a mention of which is expected in the railway budget.