In a major move that is expected not only to benefit waitlisted passengers but also benefit the railways in terms of filling up vacant accommodation in various trains, the railways have introduced a scheme, on an experimental basis,  to upgrade full fare paying waiting list passengers to the next higher class against the available vacant accommodation, with effect from 26^th January 2006. Initially, the scheme will be implemented only on two pairs of trains viz. 2951/2952 Mumbai Central-New Delhi Rajdhani Express and 2953/2954 Mumbai Central-Hazrat Nizamuddin August Kranti Express.

      The important features of the scheme are:

·         The scheme will initially be applicable on a few selected trains with reserved sleeping accommodation as a pilot project. It will not be offered in trains with only sitting accommodation e.g. 2S, CC and EC classes.

·         The scheme is applicable only to passengers having booked tickets on full fare. Concessional ticket/free pass holders including senior citizens travelling on concession will not be upgraded.

·         Upgradation will not be done for block booking transactions.

·         Upgradation will be automatically done by PRS at the time of charting. The Train Conductors/Ticket Examiners will have no authority to upgrade any passenger under this scheme on the train. However, the present system of upgradation on collection of full fare difference by booking, reservation or checking staff will continue as usual.

·         If a passenger, who has been upgraded, cancels his ticket, cancellation charges of the original class only will be payable.

·         Upgradation of passengers will be done in one class above only e.g. from sleeper to 3AC/FC, 3AC to 2AC and 2AC to 1AC.

·         Only waitlisted passengers will be provided confirmed seats. The remaining vacant berths will be transferred for booking on the current counters as per the existing practice. Thus, if there is no waiting list on a train, no upgradation will take place.

·         The berths of confirmed passengers, who have been upgraded to the higher class, will be allotted to the RAC/WL passengers of that class. If there are still some berths vacant, the vacant berths will be allotted to confirmed passengers of the next lower class.

·         All passengers in one PNR (maximum 6) will be upgraded together or none of them will be upgraded in case of non-availability of enough berths for upgradation.

·         Passengers will be upgraded without asking for their choice e.g. SL to AC/FC coach, cabin berth to side berth, lower berth to upper berth, cabin level compact accommodation to coach level compact accommodation. However, if any passenger exercises “NO” option for upgradation in the requisition form at the time of booking, his/her PNR will not be considered by PRS for upgradation.

·         Party consisting of both full fare paying and concessional passengers will be not upgraded, to avoid splitting.

·         Original PNR of upgraded passengers will remain unchanged and all information from PRS, IVRS etc., will be provided when enquiry is made with the original PNR.

·         Since there will be changes in the coach number and berth numbers of passengers, who had earlier been allotted confirmed seats, if they are upgraded, passengers will need to get into the habit of checking their final coach numbers and berth numbers before occupying the berths.

·         The chart of the original class of passengers will have indication at the bottom of the chart giving original berth numbers, which have been upgraded.

·         The final charts of the upgraded class will include the names of upgraded passengers against their allotted upgraded coach and berth number and will have an indication denoting their upgraded status.

·         There will also be a separate sheet – on the lines of the waiting list chart – giving old status and new status for upgraded passengers.