Many passengers on the waiting list travel in sleeper coaches even after making a reservation. If they are caught by a ticket collector (TC), they will have to pay a fine and book an empty seat, right?
However, the Railways has decided that passengers on the waiting list are not allowed to travel in sleeper class coaches, and they should not do so. Let’s explore the details regarding this matter.
The Railways serve as the backbone of India’s transport system. A significant percentage of people traveling long distances choose to travel by train, which is considered comfortable and less tiring.
Trains offer various types of coaches, including air-conditioned, sleepers, and general coaches. Only passengers with confirmed tickets can travel in air-conditioned and sleeper coaches, while those with general tickets must board the general coaches.
Recently, the number of unreserved passengers and those holding waiting list tickets using sleeper coaches has increased. This trend has caused inconvenience for passengers with confirmed tickets.
It has become increasingly common for unreserved passengers to travel in reserved coaches in northern states. The situation is worsening in southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where the number of people traveling in reserved coaches with waiting lists and unreserved tickets is rising.
Passengers are urging the Railways to take action to prevent unreserved travelers from boarding sleeper coaches.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh recently raised this issue in the Rajya Sabha, questioning the central government: “Does the Railways have data on waiting list passengers who have traveled in reserved coaches over the past three years?”
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav responded that such data does not exist. He later clarified that, according to the rules, waiting list passengers are not allowed to travel in reserved coaches.
Minister Vaishnav stated that the status of waiting list passengers is continuously monitored on all trains across the country, and additional trains are being operated during festivals and holidays.
There are claims that the number of sleeper coaches is being reduced while the number of air-conditioned coaches is increasing in various express trains nationwide.
This is causing passengers to use sleeper coaches due to a shortage of unreserved coaches, leading to rising demands for an increase in the number of unreserved coaches.