Indian railways TTE shares booking hack to get confirmed lower berths for senior citizens

A viral video from the Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express shows an Indian Railways TTE calmly explaining how senior citizens can secure confirmed lower berths—earning him praise across social media. (Representative Image)

If you’ve ever struggled to secure a lower berth for elderly family members, this one’s for you. A Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) from Indian Railways has gone viral for revealing a simple booking hack that every senior citizen should know.

Filmed onboard the Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express, the TTE’s informative video clears up a long-standing confusion about berth allotment under the senior citizen quota. The clip has since earned him widespread praise online for his calm and clear explanation.

Do Not Make This Mistake While Booking Tickets

The video, shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) with the caption “Kudos to this TTE for calmly explaining this. He deserves a raise,” quickly went viral, earning widespread attention online.

Important and useful train ticket booking hack... if you are senior citizen

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Kudos to this TTE for calmly explaining this, He deserves a raise @RailwaySeva@AshwiniVaishnawpic.twitter.com/l5VJwATRKR — Woke Eminent (@WokePandemic) November 10, 2025

In the clip, the TTE addresses a group of senior passengers who were puzzled about not receiving lower berths. He explains:

“If you wish to avail the senior citizen quota and get a lower berth, only two passengers should be booked on a single ticket. If you include more than two people on the same ticket, the quota benefits lapse.”

He adds that the railway’s reservation system automatically prioritises lower berths for eligible senior citizens when they travel alone or with just one other senior on the same ticket. However, if the ticket includes more than two passengers—or a mix of senior and non-senior travellers—the booking shifts to the general quota, which reduces the likelihood of getting a lower berth.

How Indian Railways Allots Lower Berths

The Passenger Reservation System of Indian Railways is programmed to automatically assign lower berths to eligible travellers when available at the time of booking. These include:

• Senior citizens (men aged 60+, women aged 58+) travelling alone or with one other senior citizen.
• Women aged above 45 years.
• Pregnant women.
• Persons with disabilities.

However, this feature works optimally only when the above conditions are met. If more than two passengers are booked under one PNR, the system cannot prioritise all of them for lower berths—hence allotting them under the general quota instead.

Social Media Applauds the TTE’s Clarity

Many viewers praised the TTE for his clear and patient explanation. Another user commented, “True. I wasn’t aware of this and faced the same issue. He deserves a raise and a reward from Ashwini Vaishnaw.”

Others asked whether the same rule applies during Tatkal bookings, sparking further discussion online.

Thanks to this viral TTE’s clear explanation, senior travellers can now avoid a common mistake and increase their chances of getting a confirmed lower berth. So next time you book a train ticket for your parents or grandparents—remember the golden rule: No more than two senior citizens per ticket!