The Kerala High Court has upheld a Railway stipulation that passengers holding season tickets cannot travel in reserved coaches.
The court passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by the Railway First Class Season Ticket Passengers’ Association, Kozhikode, and three others.
The court also upheld norms set by the Railways that first-class season tickets would be issued only for those routes that have trains with first-class unreserved coaches.
The Railways held that seats or berths were not reserved for first and second-class season ticket holders. Under the Indian Railway Commercial Manual, Railways are bound to see that passengers who had reserved their berths are properly accommodated. The Railways said that journeys undertaken by first-class season ticket holders in reserved coaches, including sleeper-class on Express trains, are not permitted. All season ticket holders, including those who posses valid first-class season tickets, are bound to travel by general coaches, in case a particular train does not have an unreserved coach, the Railways said.
First class season tickets are issued by the Thiruvananthapurm Railway Division for Parasuram and Venad Express trains, on which unreserved first class coaches are available.