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The Great India Rail Seat Switcheroo

Updated: August 19, 2019 by Dave And Deb

The Great India Rail Seat Switcheroo

It happens regularly, but foreigners would never notice.

For every overnight train trip, payoff and bribes happen with a flurry.

You see, the trains in India are always over booked and many times you won’t get the seat that you want or sometimes even what you paid for.  In 3AC for example, the berths on one side of the train have six beds and six seats.  If you are one of the unlucky people sitting on the other side with three seats and two beds, you are in trouble.  Two people on the lower berths will not be sleeping tonight! That side of the train should have 3 and 3, but it only has 2 beds for three people.

This is where the switcheroo happens.
It all starts about two hours before lights out.
A frenzy of activity occurs as people try to pay off the car captain to get themselves a bed.
We never would have known about this, but one of the guys that was sitting with us was going through that exact situation.  He shared what was going on with us.

Here is how it works.

Sometimes people don’t show up for their voyage and seats become available.  The captain know exactly where those seats are

2 berths, three people...hmm

2 berths, three people…hmm

and exactly where everyone is supposed to be sitting.
Don’t think that you will ever get away with sneaking into another bed because there is a well paid queue waiting ahead of you.
The Captain knows who is getting on and off where and when and he knows how long a seat will be vacant.

The good news is, if you happen to be sitting in the non air conditioned SL Class, you can slip him a couple of hundred Rupees and chillax for few hours until the rightful seat owner arrives.  If you are willing to pay enough, you could even get a bed for the night.

Who Can do the Switcheroo?

Can foreigners take part in this switcheroo?
It is doubtful.  Our friend was having problems getting an upgrade simply because he didn’t speak the Captains dialect.  Everyone in India speaks Hindi and most English, but they also speak the language of their separate regions. If you happen to come from the same region as the man in charge of the seats, you will receive preferential treatment.

Tension runs high

train travel in India

Train travel in India tips

It can become heated at times.  One guy got on the train late only to find out that his seat had already been so.
A good fifteen to twenty minutes of yelling went on and he eventually got his seat back.
More money was exchanged, some was given back and the line up started again.
People were standing beside the free seats that they wanted ready to pounce and claim their prize.

Happy Endings

Our friend eventually got his reward.  He was patient and friendly and he was willing to fork out another 250 ($5.80 Cdn) Rupees on top of his 1000 ($23 Cnd) Rs trip.   He was lucky enough to be promoted to 2AC for a comfortable nights sleep in style.
It provided hours of entertainment.
So the next time you travel on India Rail, watch out for these exchanges and you will understand what is happening.
Keep a close eye though, it is very discreet.  If someone blatantly offers money in public, he will be shot down faster than a cow being chased off of a beach in Goa.

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About Dave And Deb

Dave and Deb are the owners and founders of The Planet D. Since launching in 2008 they have continued to inspire "Adventure in Everyone" and show that you don't have to be an uber athlete or super-rich in order to be an adventurer.

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Comments

  1. ajay(india) says

    August 26, 2013 at 9:37 am

    Small correction here Dave.You mentioned 2 bed and 3 people on the side. sounds bit crazy right.Thats not correct.reservation is always for 2 people on the side sleeping births.let me explain you this. Indian railway have passenger seat status as RAC.intially it will be waitlist when all seats are full.As cancellation happens your waitlist will change its status to RAC.now passenger is allowed to travel but he has to go seating.every coach has 2 side sleeper birth for RAC(reservation against cancellation). .Now this is the seat where you see 3 people on side and only 2 sleeper births available.not all side births have 3 people sitting in 2 sleeping births.its only side births allocated by railway for RAC. travellers already knows that he cannot sleep because his ticket status is RAC.Now the captain know the available seat and its his duty to provide seats to RAC passengers if seats are available in train.But if you bribe him with some money chances are you will get preference.

    rail ticket stautus flow–>waitlist–>RAC–>confirmed
    upgradation happens as and when ticket is cancelled by confirmed ticket holder.reason for Having RAC is to accomodate extra passengers onboard as there is high demand for tickets.

    Reply
  2. Kim says

    December 14, 2009 at 3:22 am

    It sounds very entertaining and a good way to pass the time of a trip!
    I didn’t know that they shot cows in Goa?
    .-= Kim´s last blog ..Bagpipes, Men in Kilts and Haggis – Are You Sure We’re in Singapore? =-.

    Reply
    • davendeb says

      December 14, 2009 at 5:19 am

      Hi Kim, No they do not shoot cows in Goa. I used an expression saying “you will be shot down” meaning you will be denied an upgrade immediately. They shoo cows of the beach in Goa, but oh heaven’s they don’t shoot them.. They are very healthy and happy looking cows here in Goa. I hope that this clears up the misunderstanding.

      Reply
  3. Jennifer @ Approach Guides says

    December 13, 2009 at 8:04 pm

    Very interesting – I had no idea of the “switcheroo”!

    We approached train travel slightly differently, by arranging for a travel agent to book our seats in advance (they do it at a discount). Because they want good reviews, they will often accompany you to the train station and take care of any future “problems” behind the scenes.

    If you want a list of our recommended agents, please contact us, we will be happy to share!

    Reply

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Hi we’re Dave and Deb, a Canadian adventure couple who left our careers in the film industry 10 years ago to travel the world. We’ve been to 115 countries on all seven continents and were named one of the top travel influencers on earth by Forbes.

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