IRCTC New Rules For Waiting Ticket: If you often travel by train and rely on waitlisted tickets, there’s an important update you should know. Indian Railways has made a big change—Sleeper Class tickets will no longer be upgraded to First AC, even if there are vacant berths. Until now, many passengers with waitlisted tickets were pleasantly surprised to be moved up to higher classes when available. But that’s changing.
In a circular issued on May 13, 2025, the Railway Board clarified how the auto-upgrade system will now work. If you’ve booked a ticket in a particular class and there are no available seats—meaning your ticket is on the waiting list—but higher classes have availability, your seat can still be upgraded. But there’s a catch: you’ll only be upgraded up to two classes higher, not beyond that.
Though this auto-upgrade system has existed since 2006—allowing upgrades to higher classes without paying extra—this latest circular brings more structure and clarity to the process.
IRCTC Ticket Upgrade: What’s New
Indian Railways has offered major relief to passengers by making the automatic upgrade scheme for waitlisted tickets even simpler. According to the new notification from the Indian Railway, if there is no seat available in the class you booked but a seat is vacant in a higher class, your ticket will be automatically upgraded at no extra cost. However, this upgrade will be limited to a maximum of two levels only.
For Sleeper Class passengers, the new sequence will go like this: 2S → 3E → 3A → 2A → 1A. However, Indian Railways has now made it clear that only 2A passengers can be upgraded to 1A (First AC). If you’re in Sleeper or 3A, you won’t jump all the way to First AC anymore.
Similarly, for seating class coaches, the upgrade path will be: 2S → VS → CC → EC → EV → EA. Even here, only those who’ve booked CC (Chair Car) tickets will be eligible for further upgrades to premium classes like EC, EV, or EA. It is important to note that the upgrades will only happen within seating or within sleeping categories. So, there will be no switching from a seating class to a sleeper class or vice versa.
How to Upgrade Your Seat While Booking Tickets On IRCTC
When you book a ticket on IRCTC, there’s an option that asks if you’re okay with auto-upgrade. If you click “Yes,” your ticket becomes eligible. If you select “No,” it won’t be upgraded. Interestingly, if you don’t select any option at all, the system will consider it a “Yes” by default.
Will Your PNR Change After Seat Upgrade?
Even after an upgrade, your PNR stays the same—you’ll use it to track journey details. If you cancel the upgraded ticket, your refund will be processed according to the fare of the original booking class, not the upgraded one.
What About Senior Citizens And Lower Berth Passengers?
The senior citizens and lower berth passengers are eligible for auto-upgrades too. However, there’s a catch: an upgrade doesn’t guarantee a lower berth, even if requested. To ensure smooth implementation, the Railways Information System will update its software accordingly.
Rules For Waiting List Passengers And Penalty
Starting May 2025, Indian Railways has introduced stricter rules for waitlisted ticket holders. If your ticket remains unconfirmed, you won’t be allowed in reserved coaches—you’ll need to travel in the general coach. Breaking this rule could cost you: Rs 440 in AC or Rs 250 in Non-AC, plus the fare from your boarding station to the next stop.
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