For RailFans, the Journey itself is the Destination. - Sreerup Patranabis

Who exactly is getting reservation in trains under the 'emergency quota' (EQ)? That's the question a large number of passengers who failed to get confirmed tickets in rush summer season have asked the zonal railways through RTI applications.
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Even as the railways is busy drafting replies, there's no denying that the EQ is not meant as much for ordinary passengers, who are in genuine need to travel, as for the VIPs.
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Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express has 18 seats allocated under 'emergency quota' (EQ) in AC II tier. The seats should ideally go to passengers who are in an emergency to travel. However, those with influence and clout remain the biggest claimants of EQ. EQ is allotted by senior railway officials while seats marked under any other form of quota can be availed at ticket counters.
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Quota in reservation does not leave much for ordinary passengers booking their tickets even two months in advance. Sample this: Pushpak Express has total 936 seats in sleeper class. But not more than 358 are available for general passengers boarding at Lucknow due to quota allocation. Therefore, the 359th passenger to book a ticket for Pushpak from Lucknow will be waitlisted.
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In AC III tier, 16 out of 68 total seats are only available for general passengers from Lucknow. In AC III tier, 49 out of 128 seats are only for general passengers. Similarly, Lucknow Mail has only 319 seats out of 648 total seats for general passengers at Lucknow. At least 329 seats are allocated under different quota.
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In AC II tier, 90 out of 204 seats are for general passengers. In AC III tier, it's only 170 out of 320 total seats.
Sources in railways say that the entire quota allocation is decided by railway headquarters on the basis of demand and supply at a particular station.
Quota kinds:
EQ: Emergency Quota (also called HO for being released by Higher Official of railways) is meant for passengers in emergency to travel