Necessary Steps When Someone Else Is Sitting in Your Reserved Seat

You booked your train ticket timely, boarded the train on the right time and yet when you come across your berth, you see someone sitting on your reserved seat. This situation is much more common than you might have imagined. 

However, there is no need to panic in such a situation. Such situations can be easily handled with the proper information, documentation and a bit of politeness.

Check Your Ticket First

Before you do anything, you must first check that this reserved seat actually belongs to you. Check your seat number, coach details and travel date again. You can use your physical ticket, e-ticket or if you have your PNR Number with you then you can check the Seat details with this as well. 

Although not frequent, seat arrangements may change sometimes. It is therefore advised to check if the reserved seat actually belongs to you or not.

Talk to the Passenger Politely

Once you have verified that the reserved seat is yours, talk to the passenger on your seat. It is important to talk to the passenger politely. Most of the time that sitting passenger would be someone who has a Waiting List ticket or  someone who got confused with their seat number. 

Gently, conveying the message to him that this seat doesn’t belong to him or her may do the trick. Most passengers would vacate the seat once they come across the person to whom the reserved seat has been assigned.

Involve the TTE if Needed

If talking gently to the passenger sitting on your reserved seat doesn’t help, it is better to consult the TTE (Travelling Ticket Examiner). They are professionals, who are trained and equipped to handle situations like these. 

TTE has been provided the authority to check tickets, confirm train reservations and even instruct the passengers sitting illegally to vacate. If the person sitting on someone else’s seat doesn’t have an appropriate reservation they may face hefty fines as well.

Stay Calm, Seriously

Sometimes, there is excessive crowding in the coaches. This happens during high rush times such as a popular government exam, festival or other important events that attract huge crowds. In such situations even reserved coaches are filled with passengers, many of whom don’t have a valid reservation.

Indian Railways is the mainstay of the passengers, and sometimes when they don’t have an appropriate travel option they take to boarding the trains legally. The government launches special trains to handle overcrowding but sometimes even the special trains might not be enough. In such a situation, it is important to not lose your cool. Staying calm and patient is the best strategy here. 

Temporary or Alternative Seating

If your train is overpacked and, like all the seats, even your reserved seat has been picked by the crowd, the best step is to look for an alternate seating nearby. Keep an eye on your actual reserved seat and once it frees up go and have your seating there. This will prevent you from unnecessary arguments in an overcrowded train coach.

Preventive Steps

If a single passenger is sitting on your seat, it is easy to tackle the situation. The situation becomes difficult when the whole compartment is overcrowded and filled with passengers without a ticket. However, even such situations can be avoided by abiding the following steps:

• Try to board the train early. The earlier you board your train, the better are the chances that you will get to board the trains.
• Look for your reserved seat as soon as you board the train.
• Remain informed and keep your ticket with yourself.

The key to boarding the train seat allotted to you in overcrowded trains, is boarding early. If you are sitting on your seat timely, then no other passenger can sit there. Thus saving your time, money and undue stress.

Use Digital Tools

You can use digital railway tools from RailMitra to further simplify your journey. Track your train’s halting station, duration of the journey and the respective halt timings, with RailMitra’s train schedule service. 

You can also track your train live station with the help of RailMitra’s live train running status. This service tracks your train in real time, arrival/deoparture time, halt duration and even the platform on which the train will arrive. The timings shown through this service are updated in real time and can be helpful to you in reaching the train and your reserved seat on time.

You can also use RailMitra’s PNR Status check service to see the booking details associated with your PNR number. During a conversation with the person sitting on your seat,you show them your PNR status to prove that this seat does belong to them.

Final Thoughts

Boarding a train and finding that someone else is sitting on your reserved seat is never pleasant. However, the best strategy in such cases is to stay calm, patient and polite. Try handling the situation like a Gentleman does. 

If the person sitting on your seat misbehaves, try reaching out to the TTE or Railway Police. Your situation will be definitely resolved if it has been found that the seat belongs to yours. It is thus important to carry a proof with your booking with yourself.