Now, travel in Third AC at the fare of sleeper
CHENNAI: In a key policy shift, Indian Railways have issued instructions to fill all vacant seats and berths in AC coaches of trains through the 'auto upgrade' facility with holders of confirmed tickets from lower classes like Sleeper Class (SL) and Second Sitting (2S) during the preparation of the first chart, which is usually done four hours before the departure of a train from its source.
The move is likely to make the Current Booking (CB) facility unavailable in AC coaches, such as Chair Car (CC), Third AC (3A), Second AC (2A), and First AC (1A). However, the CB will be available for SL and 2S.
The CB facility was introduced for last-minute bookings, if there are any vacancies after the preparation of the first chart. It is allowed usually up to 30 minutes before departure.
Seats will be available under the CB category for any train only if there are vacant seats – after emergency quotas and different types of waitlists are processed – available after the preparation of the first chart.
With Railways deciding to prioritise filling seats in AC coaches through auto upgrades, such CB vacancies are unlikely to become available in AC coaches, except in very rare situations when seats remain vacant even after upgrades.
The new changes communicated by the Railway Board to Southern Railway and all other zonal railways on Thursday will not only ensure that all the seats and berths in AC classes get occupied to the maximum extent possible but also enhance the chances of confirmed tatkal ticket holders in SL and 2S to get upgraded to 3A or CC, respectively.
The Railway Board has also ordered that upgrades can be done only up to two levels. For example, SL can be upgraded to 3A and 2A. Similarly, 2S tickets may be upgraded to Vistadome 2S or CC. Upgrades to 1A and Executive Class are, however, restricted to only one level below, that is, from 2A to 1A or from CC to EC. For instance, a person with confirmed ticket in 3A cannot get upgraded to 1A.
Auto upgrade – such as from SL to 3A and from 3A to 2A – facility was introduced in 2006. However, this facility is limited to passengers who paid the highest fare in their class, which would mean those who paid tatkal fare or full fare of the tickets without availing of any concessions.
An official from the Southern Railway stated, 'Currently, most AC seats and berths get fully booked across the zone. However, during off-peak periods, on trains with higher AC seat availability, passengers with non-AC tickets might receive upgrades.'
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