Relaxation of EQ norms benefits many

Nearly a month after the Southern Railway relaxed norms for getting confirmed tickets under the Emergency Quota (EQ), nearly 80,000 passengers have benefited so far, officials said.

Until recently, a confirmed ticket under EQ was restricted to a very small circle of people, who could get it only with a recommendation from railway employees.

In order to ensure that even the ordinary passengers could avail of the facility, the commercial department of Southern Railway made a few changes.

Help at hand

They announced that passengers with a waitlisted ticket, but who had to travel urgently could approach officials at the Southern Railway headquarters in Chennai, fill up a form and once the authenticity of their claim was established, get their tickets released.

Pregnant women, passengers who are seriously ill, youth who are travelling to attend job interviews or write competitive examinations can contact the office of the Chief Commercial Manager, secretary to the General Manager, Chief Public Relations Officer in Chennai and the respective Divisional offices elsewhere to avail of this facility.

Officials said the move was primarily aimed at helping passengers in distress and also to prevent their exploitation by touts and a section of railway employees, who managed to get tickets under EQ, but ended up fleecing the passengers.

The move is aimed at helping passengers in distress and to safeguard them from