Vikalp offers alternate accommodation to passengers

To help passengers using reserved accommodation, railways on Monday extended alternative train accommodation system for five major routes connecting Howrah, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Secunderabad from the national Capital. 

The facility titled ‘Vikalp’ offers passengers an option to get alternate accommodation in another train, if they do not get a confirmed berth in the trains of their choice. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said this as he announced the expansion of the scheme. 

“At present, it is being implemented only across mail/ express trains of same category. Passengers will not be charged extra and no refund shall be provided for difference of fare,” Prabhu said, while inaugurating an AC weekly train from Hazrat Nizamuddin-Pune through video-link in Mumbai.

Minister of Science and Technology Harh Vardhan, MoS for Railways Manoj Sinha, BJP MPs Meenakshi Lekhi, Mahesh Girri and Janardan Dwibedi were also part of the ceremony at the Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station.

After getting a positive feedback from passengers, the Railways has decided to launch the scheme for wait-listed passengers on the five routes mentioned above. Under the scheme, wait-listed passengers can give choice to opt for Vikalp facility to get confirmed berths in alternate trains, if they are getting waiting ticket in the train of their choice.

The scheme was introduced in October 2015. “It will be expanded to provide choice of accommodation in specific trains to wait-listed passengers,” Prabhu had said in his Budget speech for 2016-17.

The scheme is applicable to all waiting list passengers, irrespective of booking quota and concession. Wait-listed passengers are allowed to get a confirmed accommodation in the next alternative train if they choose that option while booking tickets online. One can avail information about this scheme at the Railway’s helpline (139), PRS enquiry counters, passenger operated enquiry terminals installed at stations or just log on to www.indianrail.gov.in.