Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has explained in detail how to book multiple lower berths for senior citizens while travelling by Indian Railways.
IRCTC in a tweet has explained the rationale on why people booking tickets for senior citizens may not be able to find lower berth inspite of the provisions for the same available in Indian Railways.
The clarification from IRCTC came after a Twitterati posted the question to Indian Railways also tagging railway minister Ashwini Vashnaw on the same on Twitter,"to what logic do you run for seat allocation, I had booked tickets for 3 senior citizens with preference of lower berth , there are 102 berths available, yet allocated berths are middle, upper and side lower. U need to correct the same.
How IRCTC allows people to book lower berth to senior citizens:
Lower berth in a coach which is allocated as senior citizen quota berths are lower berths earmarked only for male age of 60 years and above/female age of 45 years and above, when traveling alone or two passengers ( under mentioned criteria traveling on one ticket.
If there are more than two senior citizens or one senior citizen and other passengers, not senior citizen, system will not consider it.
Indian Railways last year suspended concessional tickets of various categories of people, including that of senior citizens to discourage unnecessary travel in view of the coronavirus outbreak.
Meanwhile,the Finance Ministry has recommended the railways restart a 94-year-old apprenticeship scheme, which was discontinued in 2015, to "catch the talent young" and tailor them to meet the requirements of the rail transport sector.
The Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) programme was conceived in 1927 under which candidates were selected by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to train in the undergraduate program in mechanical engineering at the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur.
