When it comes to booking train tickets with Indian Railways, many travelers are aware of the various reservation quotas that exist. The most commonly recognized is the Tatkal Quota, supplemented by other categories such as General Quota (GN), Ladies Quota (LD), Headquarters/High Official Quota (HO), Defence Quota (DF), and Parliament House Quota (PH).
Additionally, there are quotas for Foreign Tourists (FT), Duty Pass (DP), and several others, including Tatkal Quota (tq), Premium Tatkal Quota (PT), and Senior Citizen/Ladies (SS) Quota, which is available for women above 45 years or those traveling alone. And while there are some other quotas too, Indian Railways has now announced the introduction of a new Emergency Quota, designed to address urgent travel needs.
This new quota is limited to specific trains, particularly the recently launched Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat-II services. The Ministry of Railways has revised the rules governing this emergency quota, which is intended for a select group of passengers rather than being universally applicable.
Who Is Eligible For This Emergency Quota
The Emergency Quota aims to cater to urgent travel needs and is not available to the general public. This quota specifically targets certain categories of travelers as outlined by the Ministry of Railways and its official reservation guidelines. It is primarily intended for High Official Requisition (HOR) holders, who include Central Government Ministers and Supreme Court/High Court judges from various states, as well as Members of Parliament and other urgent cases.
A limited number of seats in different trains and classes are set aside for this purpose. In addition to these primary groups, the Railways may also evaluate other urgent requests. Remaining seats in this quota may be allocated for compassionate grounds such as family emergencies, official assignments, critical job interviews, or severe health issues, depending on the urgency and the traveler’s status.
Emergency Quota In Vande Bharat Sleeper Train And Amrit Bharat
Now, when it comes to the allocation of Emergency Quota for Vande Bharat Sleeper trains and Amrit Bharat-II trains, the distribution is as follows: For the First AC coaches of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, four emergency quota seats will be available on regular days and six on weekends. Second AC coaches will have 20 seats allocated on ordinary days and 30 at weekends. The Third AC coaches will offer 24 emergency quota seats on regular days and 42 on weekends.
Additionally, the Amrit Bharat trains, which have at least seven sleeper coaches, will also set aside 24 emergency quota seats.
