Indian Railways, which has a network of more than 1 lakh kilometres, allows its passengers to break journey once for two days for holders of journey tickets of more than 500 kilometres, according to information on https://www.indianrail.gov.in. The facility is allowed for passengers only after travelling 500 kilometres and for those travelling above 1,000 kilometres, they are allowed to break journey twice, according Indian Railway rules. The day of departure and arrival must be excluded while calculating the number of eligible days for first break of journey, the railway rules added. (Also Read: Indian Railways Circular Journey: How It Works, Steps To Book Tickets, Other Details)
Here are key things to know about Indian Railways break journey:
Indian Railways' break journey facility is allowed on long distance trains except for travellers on Rajdhani, Shatbadi and Jan Shatbadi express trains.
The intention for break journey is to be advised at the time of making the ticket booking and not after obtaining the reservation, as per the railway rules mentioned on its website https://www.indianrail.gov.in.
Passengers opting to break journey need their tickets to be endorsed and the endorsement shall consist of the station code, station master's initials and the date.
Source: Indian Railways
Whenever a through passenger detrains at a station en-route for catching a connecting train, it should not be treated as break journey provided such halt is for less than 24 hours. For example, the holder of a direct ticket from Pune to Jammu Tawi via Dadar travels from Pune to Bombay by any day train a day earlier in order to catch Bombay-Jammu Tawi Express next morning leaving Bombay at 6.25 hours shall not be treated as break journey, Indian Railways noted.