Indian Railways has made a major change in the ticket upgradation system to improve the convenience of passengers. Now Sleeper Class passengers will also be able to travel up to Second AC (2AC) under this facility. Earlier, Sleeper Class passengers were allowed to travel only in Third AC (3AC) through ticket upgrade, but now they will be able to enjoy two classes above i.e. 2AC directly if the seat is vacant.
Let us tell you, under this rule of Railways, passengers are given the facility to travel in higher class without any additional charge. This is a big relief, especially for those passengers who want to make their journey more comfortable at the last moment.
3AC and 2AC passengers also affected
The rules changed by the Railways have also surprised the passengers booking Third AC (3AC) tickets. Actually, through the ticket upgradation system, earlier auto upgrade to First AC (1AC) or Second AC (2AC) was available on the waiting ticket of Third AC, but the Railways has changed it.
What is the new rule now
Now only the tickets of Second AC (2AC) passengers will be upgraded to First AC (1AC) class. This means that passengers with waiting tickets of Third AC will no longer get a chance to upgrade directly to First AC. This change has been made with the aim of maintaining convenience for high class passengers and streamlining waiting list management.
How to avail of the facility
To take advantage of this wonderful facility of Railways, you have to choose a small option while booking. This process is extremely simple:
While booking the ticket, you have to choose the option of ‘Consider for Auto Upgradation’.
If you do not choose this option and leave it on default, it will automatically be considered as ‘Yes’.
After this, if seats are available in higher class, the tickets of waitlisted passengers will be upgraded to higher class at the time of charting. This process is completely automated, and you do not have to make any extra effort for this.
This facility is designed to provide passengers with a better comfortable experience in the last leg of the journey, especially when seats are vacant in the train.
These people will not get the benefit of upgradation
According to the rules of the Railways, the benefit of the Ticket Upgradation System Scheme will be available only to those passengers who have booked tickets by paying full fare.
This means that this facility will not be given on concessional tickets. This rule ensures that the upgrade is for those passengers who have paid the standard fare.
It is also worth noting that if you had opted for berth preference while booking the ticket (such as lower berth), then there will be no guarantee of it at the time of upgrade.
That is, if you opted for a lower berth in sleeper class and your ticket gets upgraded, you don’t need to get a lower berth in the higher class as well. You may be allotted any available berth.