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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. Note: From 1 November 2024, the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) for most trains is 60 days (down from 120 days), excluding the day of journey. Foreign tourists can still book up to 365 days in advance. Indian Railways Quota Codes Sr No.CodeQuota1GNGeneral Quota2LDLadies Quota3HOHeadquarters / High Official Quota4DFDefence Quota5PHParliament House Quota6FTForeign Tourist Quota7DPDuty Pass Quota8TQTatkal Quota9PTPremium Tatkal Quota10SSSenior Citizen / Female above 45 / Travelling alone11HPDivyangjan / Persons with Disability (HP) Quota12RERailway Employee on Duty13GNRSGeneral Quota Road Side14OSOut Station Quota15PQPooled Quota16RC (RAC)Reservation Against Cancellation17RSRoad Side Quota18YUYuva Quota19LBLower Berth Quota Back To Top ^ 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.QuotaWho it is for1GeneralOpen to all passengers2TatkalOpen to all, for urgent travel3Premium TatkalOpen to all, dynamic fare4Parliament HouseSitting and former Members of Parliament5LadiesWomen travelling alone or in a female-only group6Senior CitizenCombined pool for senior citizens, women above 45 and pregnant women7Foreign TouristForeign nationals8DefenceDefence personnel9RoadsideOpen to all, at smaller stations10PooledOpen to all, shared intermediate pool11Cancer PatientCancer patients travelling for treatment12RACOpen to all, shared-berth allocation13Physically HandicappedDivyangjan passengers14Duty PassServing and retired railway staff on eligible passes15Railway EmployeesDesignated railway staff on duty16YuvaEligible unemployed youth (limited trains)17EmergencyHigh-official requisition holders, MPs and urgent public needs Back To Top ^ 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. Tip: Tatkal booking opens one day before the journey — 10:00 AM for AC classes and 11:00 AM for Sleeper and other non-AC classes. Important: Since 1 October 2025, only Aadhaar-verified IRCTC users can book in the first 15 minutes after the general booking window opens. Aadhaar-linked accounts can book up to 12 tickets a month, against 6 for accounts that are not linked. Back To Top ^ 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. Back To Top ^ 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. Back To Top ^

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