Having a confirmed ticket is crucial for a comfortable train journey, especially if you are traveling a long distance.
Unfortunately, due to long waiting lists, it is not easy to get train tickets confirmed.
Different Quotas for Booking Train Tickets
To address the issue of unconfirmed tickets, passengers often opt for quota tickets.
Besides the general booking, Indian Railways offers various quotas for specific groups.
These quotas and their details can be found on the IRCTC website. Let’s explore some of these quotas that can help you secure a confirmed ticket.
VIP Quota
Under the VIP Quota, Members of Parliament (MPs) or former MPs, central or state government ministers, Supreme Court and High Court judges, and MLAs are eligible to obtain tickets.
They are allocated seats under this quota for their travel.
Women Quota
The Women Quota is reserved for women passengers traveling alone or with children below the age of 12 years.
In certain trains, six berths are specifically designated for women in second seating and sleeper class.
If seats are available in the female quota at the time of booking, you can directly reserve them.
Handicapped Quota
The Handicapped Quota, also known as the Divyangjan quota, is reserved for physically challenged individuals.
They are provided with two berths for their journey, where the lower berth is for the disabled person, and the adjacent seat is for a fellow passenger accompanying them.
Defense Quota and Youth Quota
The Defense Quota is exclusively reserved for defense officers. Tickets under this quota are often used for transfers, home visits, or returning to duty after leave.
Indian Railways also offers a Youth Quota for unemployed passengers aged 18-45, as certified by the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
To avail of this quota, it is mandatory to provide an MNREGA certificate during ticket booking.