Booking a separate ticket for my 3 year old in Indian Railways

[logistopath]

A couple of weeks from now, my wife, 3 year old kid and I will be travelling from Erode to Chennai by Shatabdi express. Being a 5.5 hour journey, we would prefer if my son has a separate seat for himself. However, the IRCTC booking system does not allow any age less than 5 to be entered in the passengers list. I can only enter my son's age in the separate column for kids for whom ticket is not to be issued.
Is there any way to avoid this restriction? Should I just enter my son's age as 5 and hope the TTE doesn't mind? Or is there any other provision?

P.S: All night trains are already booked, so I don't have much alternative options.

 

[smnrock]

I've done this several times

 

[mrmash]

Buy another ticket in someone else's name and let your kid travel on it, and tell the TC that due to some emergency your friend/family member couldnt make it. Dont allow the TC to give the seat to anyone else as you have paid full fare.

 

[logistopath]

I've done this several times

By showing the age of the child greater than 5, I guess?

Buy another ticket in someone else's name and let your kid travel on it, and tell the TC that due to some emergency your friend/family member couldnt make it. Dont allow the TC to give the seat to anyone else as you have paid full fare.

AFAIK, travelling in someone else's ticket is not allowed. The TC would not be wrong in giving the seat to someone else if it is not in my son's name.

 

[mrmash]

AFAIK, travelling in someone else's ticket is not allowed. The TC would not be wrong in giving the seat to someone else if it is not in my son's name.

The child doesnt require a ticket. And you have an extra ticket courtesy of an ill friend/family member who missed his/her train. You can either let the seat be empty the entire journey or let the child sit in it. The TC cannot force you to give the seat up.

 

[smnrock]

By showing the age of the child greater than 5, I guess?


AFAIK, travelling in someone else's ticket is not allowed. The TC would not be wrong in giving the seat to someone else if it is not in my son's name.

yes I've booked like this from my son's 3rd age... It was difficult for us to sleep in the same berth. So always booked middle berth for him and tied with extra clothes in the side

TTE never questioned or asked me any document for my son.

 

[Criminal]

You can either let the seat be empty the entire journey or let the child sit in it. The TC cannot force you to give the seat up.

TTE has full authority to assign a missing person's seat to another traveller. as far as money is concerned, the missing person can get partial refund even after the train has departed.

@logistopath people fudge their children's age to get free tickets/entry, you can do the same to get a paid seat

 

[logistopath]

@mrmash This..

TTE has full authority to assign a missing person's seat to another traveller. as far as money is concerned, the missing person can get partial refund even after the train has departed.

@Criminal Yeah.. I guess I will do that only.
@smnrock Had the same plans. Middle berth with cloth tied all around. But no tickets in night trains unfortunately.

 

[abracadabra]

Make your journey smoother, leave the trouble behind and get a full paid ticket, isnt that a peace of mind?

 

[manoja2k]

The child doesnt require a ticket. And you have an extra ticket courtesy of an ill friend/family member who missed his/her train. You can either let the seat be empty the entire journey or let the child sit in it. The TC cannot force you to give the seat up.

AFAIK, if the person in whose name ticket is issued does not travel then he is considered to be a "no show" and he can claim partial refund till six hrs. after departure of the train. In such a case TTE has the full authority to re-assign the berth to another person in order of precedence (as per the precedence rules). Few years back I was a part of the reservation system team. This rule might have changed

 

[mrmash]

TTE has full authority to assign a missing person's seat to another traveller.

Didn't know about this rule. This has happened once with me while travelling. We had an extra ticket and we let our luggage be on that one the entire journey. But it was off season and the train wasn't full. So that might be the reason then.

 

[logistopath]

Make your journey smoother, leave the trouble behind and get a full paid ticket, isnt that a peace of mind?

Of course, that is the idea. I'm just asking if it is okay to show my child's age as 5 and get a paid ticket, or will the TTE still be able to deny the seat saying that the child is less than 5 years old. Going by the answers above, I guess the TTE is not gonna be bothered as long as I book a separate ticket.

 

[manoja2k]

^ Righto. Go ahead and do that. No TTE will bother if you paid for the seat. They are only concerned if someone occupies a seat w/o paying for it. In the worst case he may become inquisitive and ask about child's age. You give a confident answer and he will be on his way.

 

[manoja2k]

Didn't know about this rule. This has happened once with me while travelling. We had an extra ticket and we let our luggage be on that one the entire journey. But it was off season and the train wasn't full. So that might be the reason then.

You are right. Usually TTE will not bother too much about change in name unless he finds a hint of fishy-ness. You can't expect TTE to ignore the age difference between booked age and actual passenger's age or for that matter gender differences.

 

[nimod]

Of course, that is the idea. I'm just asking if it is okay to show my child's age as 5 and get a paid ticket, or will the TTE still be able to deny the seat saying that the child is less than 5 years old. Going by the answers above, I guess the TTE is not gonna be bothered as long as I book a separate ticket.

If TTE figures out your kid;s actual age, he is authorised to "cancel" that "fully paid" ticket and reassign it to a RAC or Waitlisted person; and even impose a fine for obtaining a ticket by providing wrong information. Keep in mind, Railways is still part of state machinary.

Your only chance is TTE's ignorance.

 

[abracadabra]

From experience , over the last few months traveling within TN and what I noticed in the overnight trains is, the TTE comes early in the morning say 5:30 - 6:00am, and ask for my ticket when a few minutes remain for me to alight at my station!! This attitude has been frequent!!