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If any lower berths remain empty during the journey, preference will be given to elderly passengers, pregnant women, and PwDs, even if they had upper berths assigned earlier.
Indian Railways also keeps a dedicated quota for Persons with Disabilities on all express and mail trains—including Rajdhani and Shatabdi. (Representative Image) (Photo:
Rightsofemployees.com)
Indian Railways has made a major effort to expand the number of lower berths available to women, people with disabilities (PwD), and senior citizens to improve accessibility and comfort during travel.
The aim of this initiative is to make travelling easier for these priority groups by lowering the challenges that come with upper and middle berths.
By using an automatic allocation technique, Indian Railways has simplified the reservation process. Even if they do not specifically ask for it at the time of booking, elderly travellers (male passengers 60 and older and female passengers 58 and older) and pregnant women, as well as female passengers 45 years of age and older, will automatically be assigned lower berths, subject to availability, as per a PIB press release.
Check The Lower Berth Reservation Quota Here
The allotment of lower berths will vary depending on the type of coach:
- Sleeper Class: 6–7 lower berths per coach.
- Air-Conditioned 3-Tier (3AC): 4–5 lower berths per coach.
- Air-Conditioned 2-Tier (2AC): 3–4 lower berths per coach.
The total number of coaches in the train determines how many reserved berths are available.
Persons with Disabilities (PwD): Check Special Quota
In addition to the normal lower bed quota, Indian Railways provides specific reservations for individuals with disabilities on all mail and express trains, including priority services like Rajdhani and Shatabdi, the press release states. Some of the specific reservations are:
- Sleeper Class: 4 berths (2 lower berths).
- 3AC/3E: 4 berths (2 lower berths).
- Reserved Second Sitting (2S) and Air-Conditioned Chair Car (CC): 4 seats.
This guarantees that travel plans for people with disabilities are safe and comfortable.
Priority For Unoccupied Lower Berths
If a lower berth becomes available during the journey, elderly passengers, pregnant women and people with disabilities who were originally allotted upper or middle berths are given priority. This ensures that those who need lower berths the most will still be able to access them when the first booking procedure is complete.
Indian Railways continues to provide incentives for passenger travel. In the fiscal year 2022–2023, it provided a subsidy of Rs 56,993 crore, or an average 46 per cent discount per passenger, as per The Times of India report.
General senior citizen concessions have been suspended, although discounts for those with disabilities, 11 patient categories, and eight student categories remain available.
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