Source: As worded by Indian Railways, Government of India

The Government is committed to provide a clean and efficient Rail service to the Public. Official efforts can be strengthened by your active co-operation in the following areas:

• Insist on buying Tickets from Railway Booking/Reservation Counters or authorised Travel Agents. While on one hand. Purchase of Tickets from touts and unauthorized travel agencies is illegal, such tickets can turn out to be fake or invalid, on the other. It can also entail consequences like being detrained, penalties and prosecution.
• With the facility of making reservation 90 days in advance, plan your journey and purchase the tickets well in advance. In any case do not attempt to jump the waiting list by resorting to illegal practices.
• Insist on a receipt or a voucher wherever due, like for meals, penalties, etc.
• Should you come across any instance of malpractice or corruption in any sphere of Railway working, please take the trouble of informing us. It will be helpful if you could note all the relevant details like description of the train, place, time and date and designation of the Railway Personnel concerned, name and address of the Witness, etc. The information along with your name and address may be sent to the Vigilance Organization of the Zonal Railway which is functioning under Senior Dy. General Manager, who is also the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Railway and looks into the complaints of corruption. In case you wish to convey the information orally, you could meet them in person. The information would be treated as confidential but the Railway may have to seek your cooperation to tender evidence during the course of the investigation/enquiries to help bring the culprits to book.
• Travelling under another person's name is an offence under Section 142 of the Railways Act which pertains to travel on transferred tickets. Passengers who purchase transferred tickets are likely to be detrained, fined and even prosecuted. The penalty for transfer of tickets will be a fine of Rs.500/- or imprisonment up to 3 months or both. Such tickets purchased by the passengers will be forfeited and they will be treated as travelling without ticket. Hence, passengers are advised not to purchase tickets which are sold by touts or unauthorized travel agents.
• Unauthorized buying and selling of reserved tickets is an offence under Section 143 of the Railways Act. The penalty for unauthorized purchase and sale of tickets will be a fine of Rs. 10,000/- or imprisonment up to three years or both. Passengers who buy tickets from unauthorized travel agents may lose both their tickets and the reserved accommodation, if such tickets are confiscated during raids.
• Buy tickets directly from counters or approach authorised Travel Agents.
• Do not jump the queue and encourage touts.
• Do not pay more than the exact fare or stipulated charges.
• Insist on a receipt for any payment made by you.
• Inform the authorities regarding any unauthorized persons on Railway premises.

There is a Vigilance Directorate in the Ministry of Railways headed by Adviser (Vigilance) assisted by Executive Directors, Directors and Joint Directors. For your convenience, their Names, Designations, Telephone Nos, and E-mail Addresses are given below: