VIKALP Scheme: Getting a Confirmed Berth on an Alternate Train
VIKALP, formally the Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme (ATAS), gives waitlisted passengers a second chance at travelling. If your ticket stays waitlisted after charting, Railways can move you to a confirmed berth on a different train running the same route, at no extra cost. This guide explains how to opt in, what the conditions are, and the two things that most often surprise passengers.
In one line: Tick the VIKALP option while booking a waitlisted ticket. It costs nothing, it does not reduce your chances on the original train, and if your ticket remains fully waitlisted at charting you may be given a confirmed berth on an alternate train instead.
Two Things to Understand Before You Opt
Both are easy to miss, and both matter.
| Your station may change | You can be moved to a train leaving from a different station in the same cluster, and set down at a different station serving your destination. If you have a tight connection or someone collecting you, factor this in. |
| It is not a guarantee | Opting in does not promise a berth. It depends entirely on what is vacant on the alternate trains at charting. |
How to Opt In
- While booking a ticket on IRCTC that is going into the waiting list, select the VIKALP or ATAS option.
- Choose up to five alternate trains you would accept.
- If you did not opt at booking, you can still do so later through the booked ticket history section, before the chart is prepared.
- Check your PNR status after charting to see whether you were moved.
Once opted, you cannot undo it. Neither the VIKALP option nor your chosen list of trains can be changed afterwards, so pick the five alternates carefully.
Which Trains You Can Be Moved To
- Alternate trains must depart between 30 minutes and 12 hours after your original train’s scheduled departure.
- You can be shifted across train categories. A booking on an ordinary Mail or Express train can move to a Rajdhani, Duronto, Humsafar, Shatabdi, Suvidha or special train, and the reverse also applies.
- The transfer is always into the same class you booked.
What It Costs
Nothing. No extra charge is collected if you are moved to a more expensive train, and no refund is given if the alternate is cheaper. Tatkal charges paid on the original booking are not refunded either. The fare difference is simply set aside on both sides.
Who Is Considered
- Passengers who remain fully waitlisted after the chart is prepared. If any passenger on the PNR gets confirmed or RAC, the PNR is not considered.
- All passengers on a PNR move together, or none do. A group is never split.
- It applies regardless of quota or concession under which the ticket was booked.
- Your boarding and destination stations may be originating, terminating or roadside stations. All are eligible.
If You Are Given an Alternate Berth
| Your ticket | Travel on the original ERS or SMS. No new ticket is issued. |
| The original train | You cannot board it. Doing so counts as travelling without a ticket, with the penalty that follows. |
| The charts | You disappear from the original train’s waitlist chart and appear on a separate transferred-passengers list. |
| Upgradation | You are treated as a normal passenger on the alternate train and remain eligible for auto-upgradation. |
| Cancelling | You are treated as a confirmed passenger, so confirmed-ticket cancellation charges apply. |
| Changing your journey | Not permitted. To change anything, cancel and book afresh. |
| If you do not travel | File a TDR to claim a refund. |
Check your PNR twice. In rare cases a passenger given alternate accommodation is dropped or re-allotted, because the alternate train’s coach composition changed at the last moment. So check your status again after the alternate train’s chart is prepared, not just the original one.
Where to Check Your Status
- Your PNR status online, which is the quickest route.
- The 139 helpline.
- PRS enquiry counters and passenger enquiry terminals at stations.
You also receive an SMS on your registered mobile if you are given alternate accommodation.
Why the Scheme Exists
Occupancy on Indian Railways is uneven. On the same route on the same day, one train can leave with empty berths while passengers on another remain waitlisted and have to be refunded. Railways loses on both counts. VIKALP, introduced in 2015 and expanded across all train categories from 2017, exists to match those waitlisted passengers to those empty berths.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the VIKALP scheme?
The Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme, which offers waitlisted passengers a confirmed berth on a different train running the same route, at no extra charge.
Does VIKALP guarantee a confirmed seat?
No. It depends on berths being vacant on the alternate trains you selected at the time of charting.
Does opting for VIKALP hurt my chances on the original train?
No. Only passengers who remain fully waitlisted after charting are considered for transfer, so your original booking runs its normal course first.
Can I cancel the VIKALP option?
No. Once opted, neither the option nor your list of alternate trains can be changed.
Will my boarding station change?
It can. You may be moved to a train leaving from another station in the same cluster, and set down at a different station serving your destination.
Do I pay more if the alternate train is more expensive?
No. No extra charge is collected, and no refund is given if the alternate train is cheaper.
Can I still board my original train?
No. If you have been allotted an alternate berth, boarding the original train counts as travelling without a ticket.
How many alternate trains can I choose?
Up to five, departing between 30 minutes and 12 hours after your original train.
Quick Summary
| What it is | Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme for waitlisted passengers |
| Cost | Free, with no fare difference either way |
| Alternate trains | Up to five, departing 30 minutes to 12 hours later |
| Eligibility | Fully waitlisted after charting, all passengers on the PNR together |
| Station | May change to a nearby cluster station |
| Your ticket | Travel on the original ERS or SMS |
| Once allotted | Treated as confirmed, no journey modification allowed |
| Reversible | No, the option cannot be cancelled |
VIKALP is worth ticking on almost any waitlisted booking, since it costs nothing and only helps if your original ticket fails to confirm. Just choose your five alternates with the cluster-station rule in mind, and check your PNR after both charts are prepared. For more, see our guides on PNR status, refunds and TDR, and ticket booking and enquiry.
Have you been moved to an alternate train under VIKALP? Tell us how it worked out in the comments, since readers often ask whether it is worth opting for.