Commuters with de-reserved tickets will not be allowed by Railways to travel in reserved sleeper-class coaches of express and superfast trains from May.
They will be permitted to travel in nominated de-reserved sleeper-class coaches kept unreserved for a particular section for short-distance daytime travellers on payment of charges for the distance travelled.
The decision was announced at the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC) held at the divisional headquarters here recently following persistent demand by passengers of long-distance sleeper-class reserved coaches. Railways have issued an official notification in this regard.
The meeting, chaired by Divisional Railway Manager Sunil Bajpai, said the practice of short-distance commuters travelling with de-reserved tickets in reserved sleeper-coaches would be stopped by Railways. Such short-distance passengers would need to take a sleeper ticket for a minimum chargeable distance of 200 km. With a second-class express train ticket for Rs.40 in the Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam sector, a commuter could travel only in general coaches. But one would need a sleeper ticket of Rs.120 (reservation charges apart) if he wanted to travel in reserved sleeper-class coaches in the sector, the meeting was told.
Railways have named nine trains plying in the State with deserved section and coaches for the benefit of short-distance commuters.
Passengers with second-class mail/express tickets can travel in de-reserved coaches by paying the difference between the second-class mail/express ticket and de-reserved fare.
If they want to travel in sleeper coaches, they have to pay the difference between the second-class mail and express ticket and the sleeper class fare. In addition, they will have to pay the reservation charges and superfast charges wherever applicable.
Decision at rail users’ consultative panel meet
Unreserved travel in sleeper coaches to entail extra fair
