Ladies Quota in IRCTC Eligibility | Railway Ladies Quota Age Limit
Section 58 of the Railways Act, 1989 provides for earmarking of accommodation for female passengers in trains. Accordingly, in trains carrying passengers, Indian Railways have earmarked following accommodation for female passengers:
i. A reservation quota of six berths in sleeper class in long distance Mail/Express trains.
ii. A combined quota of four lower berths per coach in Sleeper class and two lower berths per coach in Air Conditioned 3 tier (3AC) and Air Conditioned 2 tier (2AC) classes for Senior citizens, Female passengers 45 years of age and above, and pregnant women.
iii. Second class accommodation for women in the second Class-cum-Luggage-cum Guard’s Coach (SLR) in most of the long distance trains.
iv. Unreserved coaches/compartments for female passengers in EMU (Electrical Multiple Unit)/DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit)/MMTS(Multi Modal Transport System) trains & local passenger trains depending upon demand pattern as well as availability of accommodation.
v. Running of ladies special EMU/MEMU/MMTS services on the suburban sections of Mumbai, Kolkata, Secunderabad and Chennai as well as on the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) sections.
Prevention of crime, registration of cases, their investigation in Railway premises as well as on running trains are the statutory responsibility of the State Police, which they discharge through Government Railway Police (GRP) of the State concerned. As such the cases of crime on Railways are reported to, registered and investigated by the Govt. Railway Police. However, RPF supplements the efforts of GRP by deploying their staff for escorting of important trains in affected areas and for access control duties at important and sensitive railway stations.
The following steps are taken by the Railways to improve safety and security of women passengers as under:-
(i) On vulnerable and identified routes/ sections, 2300 trains (on an average) are escorted by Railway Protection Force daily, in addition to 2200 trains escorted by Government Railway Police of different States daily.
(ii) All the ladies special trains running in Metropolitan cities are being escorted by lady RPF constables.
(iii) The ladies compartments in sub-urban local trains are being escorted by RPF and GRP during peak / non-peak hours. Staff deployment is made during late night and early morning sub-urban local trains to ensure proper security to the lady passengers.
(iv) An All India Security Helpline 182 has been operational to enable passengers to seek security related assistance round the clock.
(v) An Integrated Security System consisting of electronic surveillance of vulnerable stations through Close Circuit Television Camera Network, access control, Anti-sabotage checks have been sanctioned to strengthen surveillance mechanism over 202 sensitive Railway stations.
(vi) RPF holds regular coordination meetings with State Police at all levels to ensure proper registration and investigation of crime by Government Railway Police (GRP).
(c): Policing on Railways is a State subject and the Government Railway Police of the concerned State register the cases of crime against women. The details of the rape, molestation & assault cases on women filed by GRP during the years 2014 and 2015 is appended.
CCTV cameras have been installed in main line coaches in one coach each in the following trains on trial basis:-
(i) 12625/12626, Kerala Express
(ii) 16179/16180 Mannai Express
(iii) 16713/16714 Rameshwaram Express.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 24.02.2016 (Wednesday).
Source : PIB
(COMMERCIAL CIRCULAR NO. 13 OF 2025)
Sub: Earmarking of reservation quota for women.
At present, following reserved accommodation is earmarked for use of female passengers :-
(a) In Sleeper Class coach reservation quota of 6 berths in Mail/Express trains for ladies irrespective of age travelling alone or in a group of female passengers.
(b) In all trains having reserved sleeping accommodation, a combined quota of six lower berths per coach in Sleeper class and 3 lower berths per coach each in AC 3 tier and AC-2 tier classes for Senior Citizens, Female passengers of 45 years of age and above and pregnant women. In case of Rajdhani, Duronto and fully Air Conditioned/Express trains, the number of berths to be earmarked under this quota in 3 AC is 4 lower berths per coach as against 3 lower berths per coach in normal Mail/Express trains.
2. The issue regarding earmarking of ladies quota in 3AC class of Garib Rath Express trains has been examined and it has been decided to earmark a reservation quota of 6 berths in 3AC class of these trains for exclusive use of female passengers irrespective of their age while travelling alone or in group of female passengers.
3. It has also been decided to modify the logic of utilising accommodation earmarked under ladies quota as under:-
(i) Till preparation of first reservation charts, only female passengers travelling alone or in group of female passengers will be booked against this quota.
(ii) However, at the time of preparation of first reservation charts, the unutilised quota earmarked for female passengers will be released to waiting list female passengers travelling alone or in group of female passengers followed by waiting list senior citizens.
(iii) If there are no such passengers and berths are left vacant, on board ticket checking staff shall be authorised to allot this accommodation to any other lady passenger/senior citizen on partially confirmed ticket, if any after making necessary entries in the reservation chart.
Here’s a clear and up-to-date breakdown of Ladies Quota eligibility and age-related rules in Indian Railways, especially under IRCTC:
Contents
1. Ladies Quota (LD) – Eligibility & Allocation
- Reserved Seats/Berths:
Indian Railways mandates 6 berths per train under the Ladies Quota in sleeper class. In certain fully AC expresses (Rajdhani, Duronto, Garib Rath, etc.), there are also 6 berths under Ladies Quota in 3AC class. These are reserved irrespective of age, for women traveling alone or in female groups. Male children under 12 years are also allowed under this quota.
2. Lower Berth Quota – Senior Women, Pregnant & Disabled
- Entitlement:
A combined quota of lower berths is reserved per coach:- Sleeper Class: 6–7 lower berths
- AC 3-tier: 4–5 lower berths
- AC 2-tier: 3–4 lower berths
These are allocated among senior citizens, women aged 45+, and pregnant women.
- Age Eligibility for Women:
Women aged 45 years and above qualify for this lower berth quota, even though it’s often referred to as “Senior Citizen/Lower Berth Quota.”
3. Booking Behavior & Priority
- Preference in Booking:
- Tickets under Ladies Quota (LD) can be booked online via IRCTC or at PRS counters by selecting the “Ladies” quota option.
- What Happens When Eligible Passengers Cannot Confirm:
- After charting, if Ladies Quota berths remain unused, they’re first reallocated to waiting list women, then to senior citizens. Onboard staff (TTEs) can also reassign lower berths to eligible passengers (including pregnant women or women ≥45) even if they hold RAC or TTE-status tickets.
4. Real-World Insights from Travellers
- Pregnant Women & Lower Berths:
- Booking under the “Lower Berth / Senior Citizen” quota at PRS counters with a doctor’s certificate is often the only guaranteed way to get a lower berth. IRCTC’s system may not honor preference otherwise.
- Women (45+) Using Lower Berth Quota:
- Passengers report using this quota successfully for women over 45. Age verification via ID (Aadhaar, Voter ID) is advised.
- Inconsistencies Happen:
- Even when passengers meet eligibility, they may receive an upper berth if lower berths are full at booking time or algorithm does not ensure allocation. Always carry ID and be prepared to request TTE assistance.
Summary Table
| Quota Type | Eligible For | Age Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Ladies Quota (LD) | Women traveling alone or in female groups; male children under 12 | No age restriction |
| Lower Berth Quota | Senior citizens, women, and pregnant women | Women aged 45+, pregnant, or disabled |
Quick Tips
- Use “Ladies Quota (LD)” when booking via IRCTC or at PRS counters.
- For guaranteed lower berth, visit PRS counters—select “Lower Berth / Senior Citizen” and carry a valid medical certificate if pregnant.
- Always have an official ID handy while traveling—this helps avoid disputes on age or eligibility.
If you’d like help checking quota availability or navigating the IRCTC interface for your specific train, just let me know!