Indian Railways Tweaks Emergency Quota Rules, Big Relief For Common Passengers

Indian Railways has revised the rules for booking tickets under the Emergency Quota (EQ), making it mandatory for passengers to send their requests earlier than before. This change follows the Railway Ministry's recent decision to prepare reservation charts 8 hours before train departure to improve operational efficiency.

Emergency quota seats are reserved for VIPs, railway staff, and passengers with medical emergencies. However, misuse of this facility and last-minute requests often delayed chart preparation, affecting the confirmation of waiting list tickets and causing inconvenience to passengers.

Under the new rule, passengers seeking an EQ ticket must now submit their request at least a day in advance. 

"Emergency quota request for all the trains leaving between 0000 hours and 1400 hours should reach EQ cell up to 1200 hours on the previous day of journey," said a circular issued by the ministry on Tuesday.

"Emergency quota request for all the remaining trains leaving between 14.01 hours and 23.59 hours should reach EQ cell up to 1600 hours on the previous day of journey," it added.

The ministry has clarified that the requests received on the same day of the scheduled departure of a train will not be entertained.

Regarding Sundays or any other public holidays, the ministry has said the requests for the release of accommodation in trains, for which the emergency quota is to be released on Sundays or clubbed holidays after Sundays, should be given during office hours on the previous working day.

The circular said the reservation cell of the Railway Board receives a large number of requests from VIPs, railway officers, senior officers and other departments.

"All efforts are made to allot the quota judiciously and with common prudence," it said.

The ministry has urged all officers to adhere to these timings so that the allotments are given in time and chart preparation is not delayed, which not only results in extreme difficulties to the travelling public but can also lead to a delay in the departure of trains.

It has also requested the forwarding authority to ensure the genuineness of the person under reference and also ensure strict compliance to existing guidelines regarding the allotment of the emergency quota.

The move is aimed at streamlining the ticketing process, ensuring charts are prepared on time, and improving punctuality. For common passengers, this change means they will know the confirmation status of their waiting list tickets earlier, reducing uncertainty before travel. 

(With inputs from PTI)