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With the Railways' Auto Upgrade Scheme, sleeper class passengers can get a free upgrade to Third AC or higher with just one click. Selecting the "Willing to upgrade" option when booking a ticket is the key to a comfortable journey.

You purchased a sleeper class ticket and, upon boarding the train, suddenly discover that your seat is now in an AC coach. No heat, no crowds, just comfort and cool air! It sounds like a movie, but the Railways' Auto Upgrade is making it a reality. Indian Railways has launched this smart scheme to please passengers and prevent losses due to vacant seats. Now, if seats in higher classes are vacant, the Railways automatically upgrade some passengers to higher classes.

Seats often remain vacant in Railway AC coaches such as First AC, Second AC, and Third AC. Because their fares are higher than Sleeper class, many passengers avoid these classes. When these seats remain vacant, the Railways suffers financial losses. To prevent this loss and provide better passenger comfort, the Railways launched the Auto Upgrade Scheme. The objective of this scheme is to ensure that no seat remains vacant on the train and passengers enjoy a more comfortable journey.

Suppose a train has four vacant seats in First AC and two in Second AC. In this case, the Railways upgrades some Second AC passengers to First AC. The vacant seats in Second AC are then upgraded to Third AC passengers. The vacant seats in Third AC are then filled by Sleeper class passengers on the waiting list. This way, no seat remains vacant in any coach of the train. This scheme benefits both. The Railways does not incur any loss, and the passenger gets a higher class seat, that too for free.

Just one click when booking a ticket

When you book a ticket through IRCTC or an app, a small question appears at the time of booking: "Are you willing to be upgraded to a higher class?" If you click "Yes," your ticket becomes eligible for upgrade. If you select "No," your ticket will remain in the same class. Interestingly, if you don't select any option, the system considers it "Yes," meaning consent. This means you may be lucky enough to upgrade from Sleeper to Third AC or Second AC.

What changes after an upgrade?

Many passengers are under the impression that their PNR number changes after a ticket upgrade, but this is not the case. Your PNR remains the same as the one provided at the time of booking. You can check your travel details and seat number using it. If you cancel your ticket after an upgrade for any reason, you will receive a refund based on the class in which you booked the ticket, not the upgraded class.