Indian Railways has announced the launch of new measures that will help to address the issue of overcrowding and long waiting lists in both AC and sleeper coaches. Here’s what it has come up with
Published: May 29, 2026, 11:38 PM IST
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Indian Railways has launched new measures. Image Credit: File image/PTI
The Railway Board’s decision comes after multiple videos surfaced online showing severe overcrowding in trains, with passengers forced to stand near washrooms, doors and narrow coach corridors.
What is the new waiting limit in sleeper and AC coaches
The new policy will introduce stricter limits on waitlisted tickets for both AC and sleeper coaches. In sleeper class, only around 30 per cent of the total seats will be allowed as waiting bookings, reducing the number of waitlisted tickets to roughly 150 to 200 per coach.
The new policy will also affect AC coaches, where waiting tickets will no longer have a fixed cap of 300. Instead, only up to 60 per cent of the total seats can be allotted as waiting tickets, helping reduce overcrowding and improving the probability of confirmed reservations.
Efforts to reduce congestion and improve travel
Long waiting lists were common on several trains earlier, especially in sleeper and third-AC coaches. Sleeper class waiting lists sometimes crossed 700, while third-AC waiting lists often exceeded 400, leaving many passengers struggling without proper seating.
Indian Railways had set a technical ceiling on waiting list tickets back in 2015, but the growing rush of passengers and frequent complaints have prompted authorities to tighten the system further. According to the Railways, the revised limits will help control overcrowding, enhance passenger safety and improve the likelihood of getting confirmed seats.
Railways to pay 10x ticket price after passengers denied confirmed seats
A consumer court held the Indian Railways responsible for failing to provide confirmed reserved berths to passengers. The Bhojpur Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has directed the railways to pay Rs 20,000 compensation to four passengers who were forced to complete the train journey standing.
As per a Bar and Bench report, the complaint arose after four passengers, who were travelling from Vindhyachal (Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh) to Ara (Bhojpur, Bihar) on the LTT Patna Express, found their confirmed berths were reportedly occupied by railway staff when they boarded the train. The complaint said that the passengers were denied their seats despite requesting the staff to vacate the berths for which they had confirmed seats.
The bench of Krishna Pratap Singh (president) and Kamal Kishore Singh (member) observed that the passengers suffered “mental, physical, and economic harassment” due to the railways’ deficiency in service. It ordered North Central Railway and the Ministry of Railways to refund the booking amount of Rs 1,876.80 along with 8% annual interest and pay Rs 20,000 as compensation and Rs 15,000 towards litigation costs within 60 days.
