Railways window seat and lower berth allotment follows a fixed rule, not luck
A look at how Indian Railways allots window seats and lower berths, and why no TTE checks tickets after 10 pm
Getting a window seat on a train is not just a matter of luck. Behind it lies a set rule followed by the railways, something worth knowing for anyone who travels by train often.
If you are travelling by chair car, there is no confusion, since the ticket itself clearly states whether you have a window seat or not. The real confusion arises in sleeper and AC coaches, where the ticket carries no information about window seats. During the day, however, passengers usually sort out seating arrangements among themselves and travel amicably.
This raises the question of who gets the lower berth if window seats go to those who booked them. The answer is that the railways has already reserved this seat for certain categories of passengers.
Top priority is given to senior citizens, that is, those aged 60 or above. After that, a quota for the lower berth is also set aside for women passengers aged 45 or above. The third category is passengers with disabilities. To ensure that physically weak or disabled travellers face no difficulty during the journey, they too are allotted lower berths.
After 10 pm, the railways' rule changes entirely. During the day, passengers sit on the lower berth, but the period from 10 pm to 6 am is reserved solely for sleeping undisturbed. Notably, no TTE can come to check tickets during this time. Keep these rules in mind whenever you set out on a train journey.
