IRCTC Child Ticket Rules 2026: Age Limits & Fares

Whether your child needs a paid ticket — and how much it costs — depends entirely on their age and whether you want them to have their own berth. Here's the breakdown by age bracket.

Age Brackets at a Glance

How the "No Berth" Option Actually Works

For children aged 5 to under 12, when you enter their age during booking, IRCTC presents a choice: "Book berth" or "No berth." Choosing "No berth" means the child travels at half fare and is expected to share the berth/seat space with an accompanying adult passenger — no separate berth is allotted to them. Choosing "Book berth" means paying the full adult fare, and the child gets their own dedicated berth just like an adult passenger would.

This choice matters most on overnight journeys — a young child sharing a berth with a parent is common and works fine for shorter kids, but if you want your child to have their own space (or they're old enough that sharing gets uncomfortable for both of you), paying full fare for a dedicated berth may be worth it despite the extra cost.

Why Age Matters So Much: It's Based on the Travel Date

The applicable age bracket is determined by the child's age on the date the journey begins — not the date you're booking the ticket. If your child's birthday falls between your booking date and travel date and pushes them into a different age bracket, make sure you're entering the age that will apply on the actual day of travel, not today's age, to avoid a fare mismatch that could cause issues when checked onboard.

Practical Booking Tips

• Enter accurate ages for every child at the time of booking — this directly determines the fare category and can't be easily corrected after confirmation.
• For infants under 5 travelling free without a berth, you generally still enter them as a passenger on the booking (without opting for a berth), rather than leaving them off the booking entirely — check the current booking flow, as this detail can vary slightly.
• Carrying age proof for children is good practice, especially if there's any ambiguity close to an age threshold (e.g., a child who looks close to 12).
• On Tatkal bookings, the same age-based rules apply — see our Tatkal booking guide for the broader passenger rules on Tatkal tickets specifically.

Deciding: Berth or No Berth?

For a short daytime journey, "no berth" for a child aged 5-11 is usually the practical, cost-effective choice — they'll likely spend most of the trip sitting with you anyway. For overnight journeys, especially longer ones, weigh comfort against cost: a child sharing a berth with an adult works for younger, smaller children, but gets cramped as they approach the upper end of the 5-11 bracket. If your child is closer to 11 and the journey is long, paying full fare for their own berth is often worth the extra comfort for everyone, not just the child.