Indian Railways (IR) maintains several booking quotas to address specific travel needs, including the Emergency Quota (EQ), which is designed to meet urgent travel requirements. This quota, however, is not available to all passengers and is reserved for select categories.
The Emergency Quota is primarily intended for High Official Requisition (HOR) holders, such as Central Government Ministers, Supreme Court and High Court judges, and Members of Parliament. Limited seats in different trains and classes are set aside for these passengers, especially if they are on the waiting list.
Beyond these categories, Indian Railways also considers emergency travel requests for other urgent situations, including government duty, family bereavement, medical emergencies, or job interviews. Requests are reviewed and allocated based on passenger status and urgency.
Allotment of Emergency Quota follows a strict priority system guided by the Warrant of Precedence and long-established practices. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that seats are first allotted to HOR holders and Members of Parliament according to seniority. Remaining requests are then reviewed, taking into account factors such as official status and nature of urgency, including travel for government duties, illness, or family emergencies.
Emergency Quota cells are located at Zonal and Divisional Headquarters, as well as select non-Headquarter stations. To prevent misuse, the Railway Board has instructed all zonal railways to release EQ seats strictly on the basis of written requests.
This system ensures that urgent travel requirements are met efficiently while maintaining fairness and preventing exploitation of the quota.
