In order to meet the urgent travel requirements of High Official Requisition (HOR) holders, which includes Central Government Ministers, Judges of Hon’ble Supreme Court/High Courts of various States, Members of Parliament and other emergent demands, who are on the waiting list, a limited number of berths have been earmarked as Emergency Quota in different trains and in different classes. The quota is released by the Railways in accordance with the priority as per warrant of precedence and well-established practice being followed since long.  At the time of allotment of berths/seats, an emergency quota is first allotted for self-travel of HOR holders/Members of Parliament, etc., strictly as per their inter-se seniority in a warrant of precedence. Thereafter, other requisitions received from various quarters are considered and the remaining quota is released taking into account various factors like the status of passengers traveling, nature of urgency like traveling on government duty, bereavement in the family, sickness, job interview, etc.    

Emergency Quota Cells are located at Zonal/Divisional Headquarters and at some of the important non-Headquarter stations.  These Cells normally function under the control of a gazetted officer supported by the requisite number of staff posted by Zonal Railways. 

This information was made available in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.