Emergency quota in trains: Who qualifies and how Indian Railways approves it
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Indian Railways provides an Emergency Quota (EQ) to meet urgent travel needs for passengers on waiting lists, reserving limited seats across trains and classes primarily for High Official Requisition (HOR) holders like Central Government ministers, Supreme Court and High Court judges, and Members of Parliament, along with other critical cases.
EQ prioritizes self-travel for HOR holders and MPs based strictly on their Warrant of Precedence ranking, with remaining seats allocated considering factors such as official status, government duty, family bereavement, serious illness, or job interviews, as explained by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
EQ cells at Zonal/Divisional Headquarters and select key stations process a high volume of daily written requests only—verbal approvals are prohibited to prevent misuse, per Railway Board instructions.
