Indian Railways Changes Ticketing Rules: Senior Citizens and Women to Get Lower Berths And Much More

Railways Updates Ticket Booking: Seniors, women, and pregnant passengers will get priority for lower berths; new sleeping hours and the improved RailOne app promise smooth and fair travel.

New Delhi: To make train travel easier and more open for passengers, Indian Railways has made significant changes to ticket bookings and travel. Starting November 1, 2024, senior citizens, women over 45, and pregnant passengers will be given priority for lower berths when booking tickets.

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This change addresses one of the main complaints from travelers. In the updated computerized reservation system, eligible passengers will automatically receive priority for lower berths.

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Travelers can also choose the option “Book only if lower berth is available.” This lets the passenger cancel the booking automatically if their preferred travel class is not available.

Train Ticket Examiners (TTEs) now have the authority to assign vacant lower berths during travel to eligible passengers who did not secure lower berths when booking.

New Sleep Schedule Set For Coaches

Indian Railways has also defined the sleeping and seating arrangements for reserved coaches. Official "sleeping hours" will be from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

During this time, passengers can sleep in their assigned berths, while those berths will be used for seating during the day. For RAC passengers, there are specific rules: the side lower berth can be shared during the day but is exclusive to the lower berth passenger at night.

Additionally, the Advance Reservation Period has changed from 120 to 60 days. Passengers can now book tickets a full 60 days before their travel date to help avoid "seat blocking" and ensure fair access to tickets.

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Railone app launched with clear booking features

The new RailOne app, launched by the Railways, combines all necessary services on one platform. Users can book both reserved and unreserved tickets, check live train status, get platform information, and manage travel more easily.

Chief Ticket Inspector R.N. Yadav stated that these changes will improve passenger comfort, simplify booking, and create fairer seat assignments across trains nationwide.