Lok Sabha Question No. 4554 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-29
Subject: Computerized Rail Booking System
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4554

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.03.2017

## COMPUTERIZED RAIL BOOKING SYSTEM

4554. KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH: DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD: SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO: SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  under  the  present computerized rail  booking  system,  the  passengers  are  unaware of  seats  they  will  be  allocated  before  purchasing  the  tickets, despite opting for particular berth ;
- (b) if so, the facts thereof and the reasons therefor ;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  many  a  time  the women  and  senior  citizen  travellers  are  allocated  upper  berth despite their request for lower berth on one pretext or the other making their journey most inconvenient; and
- (d)  if  so,  the  steps  proposed  to  bring  more  transparency  in  the system  and  make  it more  passenger  friendly with special facilities for women and senior  citizens?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a) & (b): On Indian Railways, reserved tickets are issued through Computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS)/through internet on first come first served basis.  Berths/seats of choice are allotted subject to availability at the time of booking. Coach number  and  berth/seat  number  is  allotted  till  the  confirmed accommodation is not exhausted. When confirmed accommodation  has  already  been  booked,  Reservation  Against Cancellation  (RAC)/waiting  list  tickets  are  issued.    In  case  the status  of  RAC/waiting  list  tickets  changes  to  confirm  against cancellation  of  confirmed  berths  booked  prior  to  that,  coach number/berth number is not indicated and only confirmed status is  mentioned.    In  these  cases  coach  number  and  berth/seat number is allotted at the time of preparation of first reservation charts with a view to ensuring compaction of the party.  The only exception is first AC in which even when confirmed accommodation is available, the status is shown as 'Confirmed' and  coach  number  and  cabin  /  coupe  number  is  allotted  at  the time  of  preparation  of  first  reservation  charts.    This  is  done  to ensure  provision  of  accommodation  to  High  Official  Requisition (HOR) holders and other high dignitaries as per their entitlement, not to allot single lady passenger accommodation in coupe along with  male  passenger,  compact  accommodation  to  the  family, lower berth to senior citizen to the extent feasible etc.

(c) & (d) : Since reserved accommodation is booked on first come first  served  basis,  it  possible  that  if  a  female  passenger/senior citizen approaches for booking late, they may or may not get the berth of their choice. However, with a view to facilitating journey by  female  passengers  and  senior  citizens  in  train,  following provisions have already been made in the Computerized PRS of Indian Railways:-

- (i) There  is  already  a  provision  in  Computerized  PRS  to provide  lower  berths  automatically  to  male  passengers  of  60 years and above and female passengers of 45 years and above subject  to  the  availability  of  lower  berths  at  the  time  of booking of tickets.
- (ii) Instructions  also  exist  for  allotment  of  lower  berths falling vacant in the train due to non-turning up of passengers, by  train  conductor/TTE  on  first  come-first  served  basis,  to Senior  Citizens  or  a  Physically  Handicapped  booked  on  the authority  of  handicapped  concessional  ticket  or  a  pregnant woman  who has been allotted upper/middle berths and approaches for allotment of such vacant lower berth(s).

(iii) In all trains having reserved accommodation, a combined  quota  of  6  (six)  lower  berths  per  coach  in  sleeper class and 3 (three) lower berths per coach each in AC 3 tier and AC 2 tier classes has been earmarked for Senior Citizens, female passengers of 45 years of age and above and pregnant women. In case of Rajdhani, Duronto and fully Air Conditioned/Express  trains, the number    of berths to be earmarked under this quota in 3AC is 4 lower berths per coach as  against  3  lower  berths  per  coach  in  normal  Mail/Express trains.

******