Emergency quota in Amrit Bharat, Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains: Rules, eligibility and How it differs from Tatkal bookings

The Ministry of Railways has approved the earmarking of an emergency quota in Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, partially revising its earlier instructions that restricted reservation quotas in these services. In a circular issued by the Railway Board on February 9, 2026, the government said that emergency quota will now be applicable in addition to the existing quotas for Ladies, Persons with Disabilities PwD, Senior Citizens and Duty Pass holders.

The earlier instructions from January 2026 stated that these trains would not accept any reservation quotas except Reservation Against Cancellation RAC. The Railways have decided to permit emergency quota allocation after conducting a review of their policies.

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Amrit Bharat Trains

For Amrit Bharat trains with seven or more Sleeper SL class coaches, an emergency quota of 24 berths will be earmarked initially.

Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains

In Vande Bharat Sleeper VBS trains, emergency quotas will be distributed across different classes as follows:

1A: 4 berths on weekdays, 6 on weekends
2A: 20 berths on weekdays, 30 on weekends
3A: 24 berths on weekdays, 42 on weekends

The Railways clarified that the emergency quota may be earmarked from the Advance Reservation Period ARP or from the no booking date, whichever is earlier. Zonal railways have also been authorised to periodically review the emergency quota based on demand patterns and availability of accommodation, and make suitable adjustments whenever required.

What is Emergency quota and who can use it?

The emergency quota system provides special seating arrangements for people who need to travel urgently. The system operates to handle medical emergencies and government duty travel and urgent official travel and special cases which railway officials have approved. Passengers cannot book these seats through online systems because they are different from general and Tatkal tickets.

The ticket requests get processed through specific railway offices or senior officials according to the particular situation. The authorities examine each application thoroughly because they need to control their resource allocation. The system is built to give first priority to passengers who need to travel for urgent reasons which require immediate travel and to secondarily give access to passengers who want to travel for their own purposes.

Also Read: What did Railways get in Budget 2026? How key allocations stack up vs expectations—A point-by-point guide

How it differs from tatkal booking

Many passengers mistakenly assume emergency quota is simply another form of Tatkal booking, but the two serve distinct purposes. Tatkal is a scheme which travelers can access to book tickets which they need to use within a short time frame by paying extra fees for their tickets. The Tatkal system provides limited seats which become available to all passengers after the booking period starts.

The emergency quota requires approval for its use and it charges standard fare fees instead of premium rates. The system only permits usage for actual emergencies or official business requirements while it prohibits use for last-minute travel or common trips. The ticketing process requires thorough investigations which result in ticket issuance only for the most deserving individuals.

Railway officials state that passengers must use emergency quota as an exceptional service which they should not use as their fallback option when their ticket confirmation fails. The allocation process requires urgent situations which need both documentation and availability information for assessment. Travellers should book through regular methods or use Tatkal services except when they face actual emergency needs.