Pregnant Women Travelling by Train? This Lower-Berth Rule You Should Know

Indian Railways provides lower berth quotas to make train travel easier for pregnant women, but guaranteeing these seats online through IRCTC remains impossible. The Delhi High Court is currently questioning this limitation, while passengers must rely on reservation counters or TTEs for priority seating.

Travelling during pregnancy can be challenging, particularly on long-distance journeys. Doctors usually tell pregnant women to stay away from hard forms of transportation when they can, but if they have to go somewhere, trains can be a good option. In addition, Indian Railways makes it easier for pregnant passengers to travel by train by giving them special access to lower berths.

However, pregnant women currently cannot directly select or guarantee a lower berth through the IRCTC website or app. The issue has also reached the Delhi High Court, which has asked the Centre and the Railway officials to explain why the feature isn't available when booking online. The court asked why pregnant women can't use online reservations to get lower berths even though there are rules that give them priority for those seats. The subject was brought up during a hearing for a public interest lawsuit about services for pregnant passengers.

The court also stated that although the Railways are in charge of the regulations controlling berth distribution, IRCTC serves as an agency for railway ticket purchases. For travellers who want to comprehend how the system operates, this distinction is crucial.

The current procedure enables pregnant women to approach a train reservation counter with a medical certificate and seek the facility if they are unable to acquire a lower berth through online booking. Passengers who might find it challenging to travel in upper or middle berths while pregnant may find this very helpful.

In the existing train reservation system, older persons, women over 45, and pregnant women are automatically assigned lower berths on a priority basis. These groups are given a certain number of lesser berths in various classes.

How Many Berths Are Reserved?

In Sleeper Class, around six to seven lower berths in each coach are earmarked for senior citizens, women above 45 and pregnant women. ach section of 3AC coaches has a set quota of four to five lower spots. In a similar vein, these categories are allotted three to four lesser places for 2AC coaches.

The Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) may assign a lower berth to qualified passengers, such as senior people and pregnant women, on a priority basis if a person cancels their ticket or if a lower berth is still available.

Therefore, pregnant passengers who do not receive a lower berth while booking can approach the TTE after boarding the train and enquire about any vacant lower berths. If an eligible lower berth becomes available, the railway provisions provide for priority allotment to passengers such as pregnant women and senior citizens. The facility is intended to make train journeys more comfortable for passengers who may have difficulty using upper or middle berths