Senior citizen ID ....

My wife and I will be travelling by train (2nd AC) in India in Sep/Oct this year. As senior citizens we will be given concessional fare at the time of booking.
I believe that we have to carry our IDs (in original) to show to the TTE in the train.

We hold foreigh passports with Overseas Indian Citzen (OCI) cards, which look like Indian passports. We feel that OCI cards should be a good ID for the above purpose.

We do not want to carry the foreign passports in our travels.
Will the TTE demand to see our passports for proof of age?
Has anyone gone through similar experience?

They just looked at us - no proof was required beyond grey hair!!

You are lucky. Once I have seen an old person with gray hair (that too very little) being harassed on the Tirupati railway station.

What is needed is a proof of age. Any document which indicates your age should be good enough. I have no difficulty in this regard.

Remember that you have to carry the ID that you mentioned when you made the booking. They do sometimes ask to see it.

Remember that you may need your passports when booking into hotels. I don't think that OCI card is a substitute?

Actually, I have found it sufficient just to say that I am resident in India, but I always take my passport when staying in hotels away from home. We also take my wife's passport, just in case they do not accept that she is an Indian citizen!

Nick, while booking tickets now, ID details need not be given. Only ID is to be provided to the TTE.

Krishnaji, as per IRCTC, the following are the documents/I-card valids..

Voter Identity Card
Passport
PAN card
Driving License
Photo identity cards issued by Central/State Government for their employees

see this link - http://www.irctc.co.in/etktfaq.html#Q1

So, if the TTE wants to make your life miserable, he can say that he wont accept OCI card as it is not listed ! You never know - all five fingers are not the same... better to carry your passport..