Good News for Railway Passengers! You May Travel in Second AC with a Sleeper Ticket by Choosing This Option
Important Information for Train Travellers: You Can Now Travel in Second AC with a Sleeper Ticket — Here’s How
Railways rolls out new upgradation policy allowing automatic seat upgrades across classes for full-fare passengers
In a welcome move for lakhs of railway passengers across the country, Indian Railways has introduced a major change in its ticket upgradation system. Under the new rule, if passengers select the “opt for upgrade” option while booking their tickets, they stand a chance to travel in a higher class including Second AC, even if they originally booked a Sleeper class ticket.
The Railway Board has issued official instructions to all zonal offices confirming this update. Vacant seats across classes will now be utilised fully for automatic upgrades, without blocking a minimum quota for fresh bookings. This means higher utilisation of empty berths and better travel experiences for passengers, at no additional cost.
Here’s how it works:
Passengers need to simply tick the “opt for automatic upgrade” option at the time of booking. If seats are available, the system can upgrade them by up to two classes. For example:
- A Sleeper class (SL) passenger could be upgraded to Third AC (3A), and even Second AC (2A)
- A Third AC passenger could be upgraded to Second AC
- Second AC travellers could move to First AC (1A)
- AC Chair Car passengers may be moved to Executive Chair Car
Upgrades are done close to chart preparation time and are based on seat availability.
Conditions apply:
- Only full-fare tickets are eligible — concessionary tickets (such as those with senior citizen discounts) are not included
- Upgrades to First AC are limited — only those holding Second AC tickets can be moved to First AC
- Senior citizens’ consent is mandatory — if a senior citizen passenger is assigned a lower berth and has opted for the upgrade, they will receive an SMS notification before the change is made. The upgrade will proceed only if they approve it.
According to Senior Official, at the Railway Board, this move is designed to maximise seat occupancy and improve the overall passenger experience. The decision also allows Indian Railways to utilise its existing infrastructure more efficiently, especially at a time when demand for premium classes continues to rise.
With this reform, passengers now have a real opportunity to enjoy more comfortable travel without spending extra, just by opting in for upgrades at the time of booking.
