Senior Citizens Can Always Get A Lower Berth In Trains With This Simple Booking Rule. Check It Out

Last Updated:November 12, 2025, 13:49 IST

Climbing upper berths can be tough with age. But a simple booking trick can guarantee you a lower seat every time you travel by train

Senior citizens can ensure a lower berth on trains by selecting the 'Senior Citizen' option during booking and limiting group bookings to one or two people per PNR. (AI Generated)

Getting a lower berth on trains can be tricky for senior citizens, even though they’re entitled to one. Many elderly passengers often end up with middle or upper berths, which are difficult to climb and lead to frustration with the railways.

However, this issue often arises due to a small mistake made during the booking process.

The Railway Quota System Explained

According to Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information and Publicity at the Ministry of Railways, there is a combined quota for lower berths for senior citizens (men above 60 and women above 58) and women aged over 45. This quota varies between sleeper and AC classes.

To benefit from it, senior citizens must ensure that the ‘Senior Citizen’ option is selected while booking tickets.

The One Simple Booking Rule

The key point is that only one or two senior citizens can get lower berths under a single PNR. If three or more are booked together, the system may not allocate all lower berths, and some passengers might receive middle or upper berths instead.

The allocation also depends on seat availability; if all lower berths are already booked, even eligible passengers may not receive one.

Limited Lower Berth Availability

In sleeper class, there are around 6-7 lower berths per coach reserved under this quota, while third AC has 4-5 and second AC has 3-4. Seats are allotted based on this limit. A recent viral video from the New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express showed elderly passengers raising this very concern, with the TTE clarifying that the issue arises when more than two senior citizens are included under one PNR.

Thus, to ensure you get a lower berth, always select the senior citizen quota and limit your group booking to one or two people per ticket, and try to book early before the lower berths fill up.

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