Cheers to the passenger-friendly move the Indian Railways has made!
Enabling the transfer of unoccupied berths is like a dream come true. Thanks to the proposition made by the Ministry of Railways on September 29 to ensure better allocation of vacant seats on trains.
Post the preparation of the second reservation chart, unoccupied berths at the originating station will be allocated to wait-listed passengers at the next/following stations.
The best thing is that the facility will ensure passengers get comfortable seats from minor stations even during peak hours.
What’s so interesting?
Once the train leaves the originating station, automatically the berth will be assigned as per the new passenger reservation system.
No more worries about train booking!
How will it work?
An SMS will be sent to the waitlisted passenger at the next station with the details of the coach and confirmed seat number. Moreover, the TTEs will only be able to figure out vacant berths after the train has departed to the following station, based on the unavailable quota for the train. In case no one occupies the vacant berth, the TTE will have the right to extend the allotment to the next station.
Presently, approximately 3 lakh berths remain vacant despite heavy demand. Only when the confirmed berths are cancelled in the pooled quota, wait-listed passengers get seats.
Interestingly, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched a series of policies, encouraging the participation of women in the railways (33% quota) along with giving preference to local domicile holders for commercial licenses at stations, as promised in the Rail Budget 2016-17.
Currently, 25% of the minor catering units such as stalls and trolleys at major stations are reserved for various categories like SC (6%), ST (4%), BPL (3%), OBC (3%), minorities (3%), freedom fighters (4%) and physically-challenged persons (2%).
