NEW DELHI, Dec 16: More than 57,200 passengers were allotted alternative accommodation under ‘VIKALP’ scheme during the financial year 2023-24, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
“With a view to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers and also to ensure optimal utilization of available accommodation, the Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme (ATAS) known as ‘VIKALP’ was launched in 2016,” Vaishnaw said in a written reply.
He added, “In VIKALP, confirmed accommodation in alternate train is provided to the eligible passengers who have opted for the same. This scheme is already available on Indian Railways on pan-India basis. During financial year 2023-24 approximately 57,209 passengers were allotted alternate accommodation.”
Vaishnaw was responding to questions raised by NCP MP Fauzia Khan who wanted to know the success rate of VIKALP scheme in providing confirmed alternative accommodations and plans to expand this scheme in high-demand routes.
Khan also asked the details of mechanisms put in place to monitor the impact of discontinuing waitlisted tickets in reserved coaches, and in what manner the government will address potential overcrowding in general coaches.
Vaishnaw said that waiting list tickets are issued in reserved classes to take care of berths going vacant against cancellation of confirmed berths and to help the Railways assess the demand pattern.
According to Vaishnaw, the waiting list position of all the trains running on Indian Railways is monitored on a regular basis.
In its constant endeavour to provide additional accommodation to travelling passengers, the Indian Railways, in addition to the various types of regular trains, also operates special train services during festivals and holidays to cater to the extra needs of passengers, he said.
“Accordingly, during 2024, 13,523 special train trips were operated to meet the extra rush of passengers during Holi and summer vacation. To cater to the rush during Durga Pooja/Dipawali/Chhath, 7,990 trips of special trains have also been operated during the period 1st October, 2024 to 30th November, 2024, to serve approximately 1.8 crore passengers,” Vaishnaw said.
“Indian Railways also augments the load of trains, both on a permanent and temporary basis, to generate additional accommodation for different segments of passengers. During 2023-24, 872 coaches have been utilized for augmentation of train services on a permanent basis while during 2024-25 (till November, 2024), 774 coaches have been utilized for permanent augmentation,” he added.
Regarding providing greater accommodation for the passengers using general and non-AC sleeper coaches, he said that the extant policy regarding composition of mail/express trains provides for 12 general class & sleeper class non-AC coaches and eight AC coaches, in a train of 22 coaches, thereby providing greater accommodation for the passengers using general and non-AC sleeper coaches.
“Besides, of the total number of coaches being presently utilized for running of train services, two-third are non-AC, and one-third are AC variants,” the railway minister said. (PTI)
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