Patna: Indian Railways has introduced emergency quotas on its newest premium services, including the Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat Express trains, following sustained passenger demand for last-minute travel options.
Until now, these trains offered reserved quotas for women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and railway duty pass holders, but did not provide emergency or RAC (reservation against cancellation) berths. The Railway Board has revised the rules to set aside a fixed number of berths for passengers who need to travel at short notice.
On Amrit Bharat services, which operate with seven or more sleeper coaches, 24 berths will now be reserved under the emergency quota.
For the Vande Bharat Sleeper, separate allocations have been made for weekdays and weekends to reflect varying demand. On working days, four berths in First AC, 20 in Second AC and 24 in Third AC will be kept aside for emergency bookings. On weekends, the allocation will increase to six berths in First AC, 30 in Second AC and 42 in Third AC.
Railway officials said the change is intended to assist passengers travelling due to family illness, urgent official duties or other unforeseen circumstances. Securing last-minute tickets on these high-demand trains has previously been difficult, particularly on peak travel days. Zonal railways have been authorised to periodically review and adjust the emergency quota based on passenger demand.
Delays amid infrastructure work
Separately, several trains were delayed owing to non-interlocking (NI) work between Bettiah and Kumarbagh stations. The engineering work led to route diversions and temporary blocks, slowing train operations.
The Sapt Kranti Express from Anand Vihar arrived around three hours and 40 minutes behind schedule, while the down service was delayed by more than three hours.
The Gorakhpur-Patliputra Vande Bharat Express also reached its destination roughly two and a half hours late. Other services, including the Avadh Express, were similarly affected, leaving passengers waiting on platforms for extended periods.
Railway authorities said a Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) inspection and speed trial are scheduled on the affected route, after which normal operations are expected to resume.
