Train Seat Map Layout and Coach Position Numbering in Indian Railways
Indian Railways occupies an essential place in your life, as well as being your travel companion; the railway has played its role in your adventure-filled journey. But did you know about the train coach position and train seat map layout for what it is used in Indian Railways?
You will have plenty of experience travelling in a train. However, being the world’s largest rail network, railways is also the most popular means of transportation in India. Indian Railways has been designed according to the needs of different passengers.
While booking train tickets, you come across some Indian Railways abbreviations and wonder why they are used. From the train coach position to the train seat map layout, these are some words that every person finds while travelling in the railways. Let’s learn the meaning and purpose of each of these terms used in Indian Railways.
What is the Train Coach Position Used For?
Travellers often find it challenging to know the platform number and location of the coach after arriving at the railway station. This problem is compounded by the rush of passengers at the inquiry counter and the display board malfunction. But, they do not face this problem with the help of the train coach position.
Coach position displays are placed on the platform for information about which coach of the train will stop on the platform at which place. So the passenger coach stands at the allotted position display. With the help of the train coach position, passengers do not have to run unnecessarily on platforms to find their coach.
Also, checking the train running status before reaching the railway station can help you stay informed of the current location of the train.
The coach number is printed on every train ticket. You can identify the exact type of coach you are allotted with the help of the table above. The coach type “composite” means that the coach consists of different kinds of classes. A “full” coach type is one which includes a single type of class.
Train Seat Map Layout and Coach Numbering
There are different classes of coaches in Indian Railways, depending on the price and comfort required by people. At the highest priced level, there are AC coaches which are sub-divided into premium 1st AC, 2nd AC, and 3rd AC. In the non-AC category, there are sleeper coaches of cheaper price range than the AC coaches, followed by the most inexpensive general coaches. An extensive section of India’s population travels in the general coaches. Learn about the train seat layout of all these coaches.
First AC Coach Seat Layout
It is the most expensive class coach in Indian Railways. Its price is almost equal to the flight’s fare.
First AC has eight cabins, and half AC first-class coach has three cabins. The coach has an attendant to help passengers. Beds are included in the fare. These air-conditioned coaches operate only on popular routes of the country. These coaches can carry 10 or 18 passengers. Sleeper berths are very wide and comfortable.
Carpets are placed in this category of coaches, which gives passengers an exceptional experience of travelling. You also have the luxury amenities available at your disposal in these coaches.
Second AC Coach Seat Layout
The second AC coach of the Indian railways is also fully air-conditioned. Along with a sleeping berth, it has ample legroom, curtains and a separate reading lamp for every traveller. The seats in this second AC coach of Railways are divided into two levels of six sections. Four seats spread across the width of the coach and two are placed on the side. For passengers’ privacy, there is a curtain in every berth. 48 to 54 passengers can travel at a time in 2nd AC coaches.
Third AC Coach Seat Layout
The third AC coach is also fully air-conditioned with sleeping berths. Although its seats are arranged in the same manner as 2AC, it has three tiers in the coaches relative to the width and has two sides, i.e. eight seats in total in one coach. There is no reading light separately. The cost of the bedding provided is included in the fare. 64 passengers can travel in 3rd AC coaches. In broad gauge (ICF) coaches, 72 passengers can travel.
Third AC Economy Sleeper Seat Map Layout
The third AC economy coach is also fully air-conditioned with sleeping berths. At present, this type of coach is available in Garib Rath. The seats of this coach are also usually arranged like 3AC, but it has three tiers. It also does not have any reading lamp, nor does it have curtains. The cost of the bedding is deducted from your fare, which is 25 rupees per passenger. A sizeable middle-class population of India is seen travelling in such a coach.
AC Chair Car Seat Layout
This railway coach is also fully air-conditioned but has only seating, as the name suggests, a chair car. It usually has a seating area of five people in a row. Overall, passengers travelling in it are not able to find it comfortable to sleep; they have to sit during the entire journey, which does not cover long distances.
Sleeper Class Seat Layout
Sleeper class is the most commonly found coach of Indian Railways. Usually, 10 or more such coaches are added to a train. The coach has three berths in width and two in length, with 72 seats for passengers. There is a rush among passengers for ticket reservation in this coach. Since not everyone can afford to travel in an AC coach, there is a lot of crowds preferring to travel in a sleeper coach.
Second Sitting Non AC
Second seating coaches are the cheapest class coaches. It has the facilities only for seating with three berths on one side. It has 108 seats in LHB coach. It is also known as General coach. People throng the coach during holidays and festival rush in trains.
Layout Feature is Made for the Convenience of Passengers
Travellers can now get information on empty, booked and partially booked seats in one click after the chart is prepared. Passengers will get information about whether a train seat position is vacant or not.
The first reservation chart can be viewed online 4 hours before the train starts, while the second chart can be viewed half an hour before the train’s departure. The second chart will show the change in the allocation of seats. The new feature will be available on both web and mobile versions of IRCTC’s e-ticket booking platform.
In the new interface, the layout of all the nine categories used in the reservation of trains of Indian Railways will be seen. You can learn how many seats are vacant in the sleeper or different AC classes and book tickets if needed. Until now, the information of empty seats was not available to the frequent travellers after the chart was made. The new interface of railways will not only benefit passengers but will also help in increasing the revenue of railways.
You Can Check the Layout Information of Train Online
- First login to the IRCTC website, which will show a new option to view charts/vacancy. A new webpage will open upon clicking the option.
- You will need to provide the details of the journey, train number, date of travel and boarding station. After entering all these details, click on the ‘Get Train Chart’ option.
- You will now be able to see the reservation chart.
- You can see vacant seat availability for booking in both category and coach basis.
- You can click on the coach number to check the layout.
AC Chair Car (Shatabdi/Duronto Express) – Coach Seat Map Layout and Numbering
The Shatabdi Express was launched in 1988 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The Shatabdi Express was the idea of the then Railway Minister, Shri Madhavrao Scindia.
The Shatabdi Express train is one of the fastest trains in India and has an average speed of about 130 km/h. Shatabdi Express runs with an LHB Rake and has a total of 11 coaches. It has 7 AC chair car coaches and two executive class coaches. It has a capacity of 75 seating in one coach.
- The full coach composition of Shatabdi express is:Engine–EOG–C1–C2–C3–C4–C5–C6–C7–E1–E2—EOG
Purushottam Express Coach Seat and Layout
Purushottam Express is a daily train that runs between Puri in Odisha and New Delhi. Purushottam Express runs at an average speed of 61 km/h to reach New Delhi Railway Station at a distance of 1857 km.
It runs with an LHB Coach and has a total of 22 coaches attached in this train. Purushottam express has one 2nd AC coach, four 3rd AC coaches, twelve sleeper coaches, two 2nd unreserved seating coaches, and one pantry car coach.
- The full coach composition of Purushottam Express is:Engine–EOG–GS–S1–S2–S3–S4–S5–S6–S7–S8–S9–S10–S11–S12–PC–A1–B4–B3–B2–B1–GS—EOG
Kashi Express Coach Seat and Layout
The Kashi Express, train number 15017/15018, is a regular mail/express train of the Indian Railways. It runs between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra and Gorakhpur Junction, the principal city of Uttar Pradesh. It runs with an ICF Rake and has a total of 23 coaches. It has one 2nd AC coach, two 3rd AC coaches and thirteen sleeper coaches available for the passengers. The engine of the Kashi Express reverses at Prayagraj Junction.
- The full coach composition of Kashi express is:Engine–SLR–GEN–GEN–S1–S2–S3–S4–S5–S6–S7–S8–S9–S10–S11–S12–A1–B1–BE1–S13–GEN–GEN–GEN—SLR
Kerala Sampark Kranti Express Coach Seat Map and Layout
Kerala Sampark Kranti Express (12217/12218) is one of the major trains of Indian Railways which runs between Chandigarh Junction and Kochuveli. Kerala Sampark Kranti Express is a superfast express train that runs between Kochuveli railway station in Thiruvananthapuram and Chandigarh, which are the capital cities of Kerala and Punjab respectively. It is the longest-running contact revolution train which covers a distance of about 3415 km in one way.
It runs with an LHB Rake and has a total of 22 coaches. Kerala Sampark Kranti Express has one 1st AC cum 2nd AC coach, one 2nd AC coach, four 3rd AC coaches, one pantry car coach and nine sleeper coaches.
- The full coach composition of Kerala Sampark Kranti Express is:Engine–EOG–GN–GN–S1–S2–S3–S4–S5–S6–S7–S8–S9–PC–B1–B2–B3–B4–A1–HA1–GN–GN–EOG