INDIAN RAILWAYS ACCOMMODATION CLASSES

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1930

INDIAN RAILWAYS ACCOMMODATION CLASSES

indian-railway

 

CLASS FEATURES
1A – First Class AC
  • Most expensive class, where the fares are almost at par with air fare
  • AC First Class coach has Eight cabins (including two coupes)  and three cabins (including one coupe) in the half AC First Class coach
  • To help the passengers there will be an attendant.
  • This air conditioned coach is present only on popular routes and can carry 18 passengers (full coach) or 10 passengers (half coach).
  • The sleeper berths are extremely wide and spacious.
  • The coaches are carpeted, have sleeping accommodation and have privacy features like personal coupes.
  • This class is available on broad gauge and metre gauge trains.
2A – AC Two Tier
  • These air-conditioned coaches have sleeping berths across eight bays.
  • Berths are usually arranged in two tiers in bays of six, four across the width of the coach and two berths long ways on the other side of the corridor, with curtains along the gangway or corridor.
  • Bedding is included with the fare.
  • A broad gauge coach can carry 48 passengers (full coach) or 20 passengers (half coach).
  • This class is available on broad gauge and metre gauge trains.
FC – First Class
  • Same as 1AC but without air conditioning.
  • No bedding is available in this class.
  • The berths are wide and spacious.
  • There is a coach attendant to help the passengers.
  • This class has been phased out on most of the trains and is rare to find.
  • Narrow gauge trains to hill stations have this class.
3A – AC Three Tier
  • Air conditioned coaches with 64 sleeping berths.
  • Berths are usually arranged as in 2AC but with three tiers across the width and two long ways as before giving eight bays of eight.
  • They are slightly less well-appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off gangways.
  • Bedding is included with fare. It carries 64 passengers in broad gauge.
  • This class is available only on broad gauge.
3E – AC Three Tier (Economy)
  • Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths, present in Garib Rath Trains.
  • Berths are usually arranged as in 3AC but with three tiers across the width and three longways.
  • They are slightly less well-appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off gangways.
  • Bedding is not included with fare.
CC –AC Chair Car
  • An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of five seats in a row used for day travel between cities.
EC – Executive Class Chair Car
  • An air-conditioned coach with large spacious seats and legroom.
  • It has a total of four seats in a row used for day travel between cities.
  • This class of travel is only available on Shatabdi Express trains.
SL – Sleeper Class
  • The sleeper class is the most common coach on IR, and usually ten or more coaches could be attached.
  • These are regular sleeping coaches with three berths vertically stacked.
  • In broad gauge, it carries 72 passengers per coach.
2S – Seater Class
  • Same as AC Chair car, without the air-conditioning.
  • These may be reserved in advance or may be unreserved.
UR – Unreserved
  • The cheapest accommodation.
  • The seats are usually made up of pressed wood in older coaches but cushioned seats are found in new coaches.
  • These coaches are usually over-crowded and a seat is not guaranteed.
  • Tickets are issued in advance for a minimum journey of more than 24 hours.
  • Tickets issued are valid on any train on the same route if boarded within 24 hours of buying the ticket.