New Delhi: The Ministry of Railways has revised the timings for submitting emergency quota (EQ) requests, following its recent decision to prepare reservation charts eight hours before a train’s departure.

According to a circular issued by the ministry on Tuesday, EQ requests for trains departing between 00:00 hours and 14:00 hours must reach the EQ cell by 12:00 noon on the previous day of the journey. For trains scheduled to depart between 14:01 hours and 23:59 hours, requests must be submitted by 16:00 hours the previous day.

The ministry has made it clear that EQ requests received on the same day as the scheduled departure will not be entertained.

For trains departing on Sundays or on public holidays following Sundays, requests for emergency quota accommodation must be submitted during office hours on the last working day prior to the holiday.

The circular notes that the Railway Board's reservation cell receives a high volume of requests from VIPs, railway officials, senior officers, and other government departments. It added that every effort is made to allocate emergency quota seats judiciously and with discretion.

Railway officials have been urged to strictly follow the revised submission timings to avoid delays in chart preparation, which can cause inconvenience to passengers and even lead to delays in train departures.

The ministry has also asked forwarding authorities to verify the genuineness of the person referenced in the request and to ensure strict adherence to existing guidelines governing EQ allotment.