Image of the inside of a sleeper coach for representational purposes.
Credit: iStock Photo
A Travelling Ticket Examiner has revealed tricks senior citizens can follow while booking for IRCTC train to get lower berths. A video of the TTE explaining the IRCTC algorithm was posted on X which has since then gone viral.
After the Indian Railways updated the reservation system recently, it has made things easier for senior citizens, or pregnant women, women above 45 and people with disabilities. Now, lower birth will automatically be given to them if available during the time of booking.
The new feature lets user choose the option "book only if lower berth is available", while booking, which then cancels the request if the lower berth was not available, as per reports.
The railways have also directed TTEs to assign lower berth to them if there are vacancies.
"If you wish to avail the senior citizen quota and get a lower berth, only two passengers should be booked on a single ticket. If you include more than two people on the same ticket, the quota benefits lapse," the TTE said in the video.
The video posted on X garnered over 400k views an a flurry of comments.
"Great initiative by the TTE," a user commented.
"I was not aware. Thanks," a second user commented.
Another user wrote, "Right if u choose senior citizen quota where you can book 2 ticket only."
However, some user commented saying the tip did not work and that they did not get lower berths.
A user commented, "Fake I have booked only for 2 senior citizen but got middle and upper berth."
"If they book it separately, they might get assigned in diff coaches, that's a problem," another user commented.