Indian Railways Quotas 2026: Full List, Codes and Booking Rules

Quotas in Indian Railways

An Indian Railways quota is simply the way the reservation system splits available berths into separate pools, so different types of passengers get a fair chance at a confirmed seat. Instead of releasing every berth into one open pool, the system sets aside blocks for ladies, senior citizens, railway officials, urgent travel and more. Knowing which quota to pick can be the difference between a confirmed ticket and a long waiting list.

Indian Railways Quota Codes

Sr No.	Code	Quota
1	GN	General Quota
2	LD	Ladies Quota
3	HO	Headquarters / High Official Quota
4	DF	Defence Quota
5	PH	Parliament House Quota
6	FT	Foreign Tourist Quota
7	DP	Duty Pass Quota
8	TQ	Tatkal Quota
9	PT	Premium Tatkal Quota
10	SS	Senior Citizen / Female above 45 / Travelling alone
11	HP	Divyangjan / Persons with Disability (HP) Quota
12	RE	Railway Employee on Duty
13	GNRS	General Quota Road Side
14	OS	Out Station Quota
15	PQ	Pooled Quota
16	RC (RAC)	Reservation Against Cancellation
17	RS	Road Side Quota
18	YU	Yuva Quota
19	LB	Lower Berth Quota

Categories of Reservation Quotas

Broadly, reserved berths on Indian Railways are shared across the following categories, each meant for a defined group of travellers.

S.No.	Quota	Who it is for
1	General	Open to all passengers
2	Tatkal	Open to all, for urgent travel
3	Premium Tatkal	Open to all, dynamic fare
4	Parliament House	Sitting and former Members of Parliament
5	Ladies	Women travelling alone or in a female-only group
6	Senior Citizen	Combined pool for senior citizens, women above 45 and pregnant women
7	Foreign Tourist	Foreign nationals
8	Defence	Defence personnel
9	Roadside	Open to all, at smaller stations
10	Pooled	Open to all, shared intermediate pool
11	Cancer Patient	Cancer patients travelling for treatment
12	RAC	Open to all, shared-berth allocation
13	Physically Handicapped	Divyangjan passengers
14	Duty Pass	Serving and retired railway staff on eligible passes
15	Railway Employees	Designated railway staff on duty
16	Yuva	Eligible unemployed youth (limited trains)
17	Emergency	High-official requisition holders, MPs and urgent public needs

Which Quotas Can You Book Online on IRCTC?

When you book through the IRCTC website or the Rail Connect app, most passengers use the General Quota. Alongside it, you can also directly select Ladies, Foreign Tourist, Tatkal, Premium Tatkal, Senior Citizen and Physically Handicapped (Divyangjan) quotas at the time of booking. Berths may also be released to you under RAC and the Pooled Quota depending on availability. Together these cover the large majority of reserved berths on the network, and they can be booked both online and at computerised reservation counters.

Quotas that need documents to be physically verified before travel are generally kept off the online system. Over time, though, Railways has opened up online booking for a few of these categories, including persons with disability, accredited press correspondents and defence personnel. This list keeps changing as the process is reviewed.

Detailed Information About Each Railway Quota

General Quota (GN)

The default pool that most travelers use. It holds the largest share of berths in a train and is booked from the originating station and nearby stations. On long-distance trains, most seats sit under this quota. Booking opens 60 days before departure.

Headquarters / High Official Quota (HO)

A small block of berths kept aside for railway officials, VIPs and senior officers, released on a first-come basis. Requests are routed to the quota-controlling authority in advance, and unused berths can sometimes clear a waiting-list ticket close to charting.

Defence Quota (DF)

Meant for defence personnel, who can book against this quota using their service identity documents.

Parliament House Quota (PH)

Berths set aside for Members of Parliament for urgent official travel. Certain other constitutional and senior office holders may also be accommodated under related high-official provisions.

Foreign Tourist Quota (FT)

A dedicated block of berths for foreign tourists on most important trains and across classes. Foreign nationals also enjoy a longer 365-day advance booking window.

Duty Pass Quota (DP)

For railway staff travelling on official duty using a duty pass. Full details are covered in our guide on Duty Pass Quota in Trains.

Tatkal Quota (TQ)

Built for last-minute travel. Tatkal is available in most classes except First AC and Executive Class, and booking opens a day before the journey. You cannot combine Tatkal with the Ladies or General concessions.

Premium Tatkal Quota (PT)

A smaller, higher-priced version of Tatkal with dynamic fares that rise with demand. Booking timings match Tatkal, and there is no RAC or refund on confirmed tickets.

Senior Citizen / Female above 45 / Travelling alone (SS)

A combined lower-berth pool for senior citizens, women above 45 and pregnant women travelling alone. It improves the chance of getting a lower berth. See our detailed page on senior citizen facilities.

Divyangjan Quota (HP)

Reserved for Divyangjan passengers, offering concessional fares and better berth allocation, usually with berths for the traveller and an escort. Read the rules for passengers with disabilities for eligibility and proof requirements.

Railway Employee on Duty (RE)

A quota that lets designated railway staff travel while performing official duty for that train.

General Quota Road Side (GNRS)

Also called a remote-location quota. It covers stations not connected to the Passenger Reservation System, where records may still be maintained manually.

Out Station Quota (OS)

Operated for stations away from the main reservation network. It usually needs confirmation from the zonal railway and generally cannot be booked online; berths may be merged with the nearest remote-location quota.

Pooled Quota (PQ)

A small shared pool charted at the originating station and used for intermediate origin-destination pairs. There is no RAC here, so only confirmed tickets are issued under this quota.

Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC)

RAC lets two passengers share one berth. A RAC ticket allows you to board and travel, unlike a plain waiting-list ticket. RAC tickets often clear to confirmed as other bookings cancel. Once confirmed, you get the full berth for the rest of the journey.

Road Side Quota (RS)

Smaller intermediate stations that are outside the networked reservation system issue tickets from their own limited pools, known as road side quotas.

Yuva Quota (YU)

Introduced to offer concessional reserved travel to unemployed youth, broadly in the 15–45 age band, subject to eligibility certification. In practice it runs on very few trains today, so always check availability at the time of booking rather than assuming it applies to your train.

Lower Berth Quota (LB)

A dedicated lower-berth pool for women above 45, senior citizens and pregnant women travelling alone. Full details are on our Lower Berth Quota in Trains page.

Frequently Asked Questions on Railway Quotas

What is a quota in Indian Railways ticket booking?
A quota is a pool of reserved berths that Indian Railways sets aside for a specific category of passenger, such as General, Ladies, Senior Citizen or Tatkal, so different groups get a fair chance at a confirmed seat.

How many days in advance can I book a train ticket?
The Advance Reservation Period is 60 days for most trains, excluding the journey date, effective from 1 November 2024. Foreign tourists can book up to 365 days in advance.

Which quotas can be booked online on IRCTC?
General, Ladies, Foreign Tourist, Tatkal, Premium Tatkal, Senior Citizen and Physically Handicapped (Divyangjan) quotas can be selected directly on IRCTC, and berths may also be allotted under RAC and Pooled Quota.

What time does Tatkal booking open?
Tatkal booking opens one day before the journey, at 10:00 AM for AC classes and 11:00 AM for Sleeper and other non-AC classes.