What is the rule regarding lower berths for pregnant women on trains? The court asked..
Climbing onto an upper or middle train berth is extremely difficult for a pregnant woman. While railway regulations include a provision prioritizing lower berths for pregnant women, this facility appears to be missing from the IRCTC app during online ticket booking. The matter has now reached the Delhi High Court. The court has issued notices to the Railways and the Central Government, asking why this benefit is unavailable during online booking when the policy mandates the allocation of lower berths.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia made these sharp observations while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). Petitioner Anunay Sahay informed the court that neither the IRCTC website nor the app offers an option for pregnant women to directly select a lower berth. The court noted that IRCTC acts merely as an agent, while the responsibility for fully implementing the reservation policy lies with the Railways itself. When lower berths cannot be booked online, women are forced to carry medical certificates to physical reservation counters at railway stations to book their tickets.
Who gets a lower berth and how?
Under current Indian Railways rules, senior citizens, women over the age of 45, and pregnant women are allocated lower berths through the auto-allotment system. The system automatically assigns a lower berth based on availability, provided the designated quota is not exhausted. In Sleeper Class, 6 to 7 lower berths per coach are earmarked for senior citizens, women over 45, and pregnant women. In 3AC coaches, 4 to 5 lower berths are reserved for this category, while a quota of 3 to 4 lower berths is fixed for each 2AC coach.
What should be done if an upper berth is allotted?
If a pregnant woman, elderly person, or differently-abled passenger fails to secure a lower berth during booking and is allotted a middle or upper berth instead, the rules still work in their favor. If any lower berth remains vacant on the train during the journey, or if a passenger cancels their trip, the on-duty TTE is required to first allocate that vacant lower berth to such passengers.