Usually, vacant berths are offered to wait-listed passengers, irrespective of their gender.
The Indian railways has decided to offer the unutilised berths in trains under the ladies quota first to women passengers on the waiting list and then to senior citizens. Right now, the quota remains open for booking till the time of preparation of the reservation chart and after that, the vacant berths are offered to wait-listed passengers, irrespective of their gender.
The railway board has written to the staff to "modify the logic of utilising accommodation earmarked under the ladies quota".
"If there are no such passengers and the berths are left vacant, the on-board ticket checking staff shall be authorised to allot this accommodation to any other lady passenger/senior citizen...," the circular said.
In all trains with sleeping facility, a combined quota of six lower berths per sleeper-class coach and three lower berths per AC 3-tier and AC 2-tier coach is available for senior citizens, women passengers of 45 years of age and above and pregnant women.
In Rajdhani, Duronto and fully air-conditioned or express trains, four lower berths are earmarked under this quota in AC 3-tier coaches.
Last year, the railways had fixed quota for differently abled passengers in Third AC coach of mail and express trains to make the journey hassle- free. Earlier, there was a provision for lower berth quota in sleeper class only.