Indian Railways charge a full fare for children under five years only if a seat/berth is booked for them - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 18, 2022
A Facebook post is being widely shared claiming that even one-year-old children need to get a full ticket to travel on Indian Railway trains. Let’s fact- check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Indian Railways charge full fare for even one-year-old children.
Fact: Free journey is still allowed for any child below five years if no seat/berth is booked. However, if there is a need for separate berth/seat for the child, a full adult fare shall be charged. Before March 2020, there is no option to book berth/seat for a child below five years. After March 2020, Indian Railways introduced an option to book seat/berth for children below five years. Hence the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
First, we searched on the web with the relevant key words and found a press release by Ministry of Railways on 17 August 2022.
In this press release, it is clearly mentioned that it is optional for passengers to buy ticket & book berth for children below 5 years and free travel is allowed for children below 5 years, if no berth is booked. A circular related to this change also mentioned in press release. Taking cue from this, we found the circular from Indian Railway Website, which was issued in March 2020.
The circular clearly states that children below 5 years of age, whether travelling in reserved or unreserved class, shall be carried free and purchase of ticket is not required. But they won’t be given any separate reserved berth/seat. However, if there is a need for separate berth/seat for the child, a full adult fare shall be charged.
Additionally, we tried to book tickets in the IRCTC website for 2 adults and a one-year-old child from Secunderabad to Tambaram in sleeper class. In the passenger details section, one can see there are two options available; add infant with berth and add infant without berth.
Upon selecting the ‘Add infant without berth’, it shows ticket is not to be issued for the infant. Finally, the berths will be reserved for 2 people and fare is calculated for 2 adults.
If we select ‘Add infant with berth’, then the berths will be reserved for 3 people and fare will be calculated for 3 adults.
According to IRCA coaching tariff & press releases by Ministry of railways in 2015, 2016; children below 5 years can be carried free (without berth). But there is no particular fare policy  for children below 5 years before March 2020, especially for those who want a separate birth for such children.
However, the ministry of railways added an option to book seat/berth for children below 5 years through a circular dated 06 March 2020. In a press release, Ministry of Railways clearly stated, “On the demand of the passengers, an option has been given to them to buy a ticket and book a berth for their under 5-year-old child if they want. And if they don’t want a separate berth, then it is free, same like it used to be earlier.”
To sum it up, children below 5 years of age, whether travelling in reserved or unreserved class, shall be carried free and purchase of ticket is not required. But they won’t be given any separate reserved berth/seat. However, if there is a need for separate berth/seat for the child, a full adult fare shall be charged.