How berth numbers work: find the lower berth in any coach

Indian Railways numbers berths in a repeating pattern, bay by bay. Once you know it, you can tell your berth type from the number alone.

Sleeper (SL) and AC 3 Tier (3A)

Each bay has 8 berths. Counting from the start of the bay:

• 1 — Lower
• 2 — Middle
• 3 — Upper
• 4 — Lower
• 5 — Middle
• 6 — Upper
• 7 — Side lower
• 8 — Side upper

So berth 36 (the 4th in the fifth bay, 33–40) is a lower, and 35 is an upper. Divide by 8 and look at the remainder: 1 or 4 is lower, 2 or 5 middle, 3 or 6 upper, 7 side lower, 0 side upper.

AC 2 Tier (2A)

Bays have 6 berths: 1 Lower, 2 Upper, 3 Lower, 4 Upper, 5 Side lower, 6 Side upper. There are no middle berths.

Chair cars (CC)

Rows of five in a 3+2 layout: window, middle, aisle — aisle, window.

Tip: when you add your PNR on EzySeat we work this out for you, show your berth on a coach map, and only suggest swaps that are genuinely better.