Travel is an important part of our lives, and we travel around for so many purposes, including work, study, and pleasure, every year. However, when travelling so many times a year, it can be financially overwhelming to always look for air and road options. This is why many people choose the railways in India since these offer different styles of compartments with different ranges of comfort. The two very popular travel classes in a train are the EC train seat and the chair car.

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Air-Conditioned Executive Class (EC)

The executive class coaches in a train are usually considered the Business Class travel option of the Indian railways. The EC compartments are fully air-conditioned. However, these compartments have a chair car style of seating arrangement without any sleeper berths. These compartments are often confused with chair car seats in many trains like the Shatabdi. The difference between the EC train seat and the CC seat is the arrangement because the EC train seat is in a 2X2 manner. This provides passengers with more space and comfort and is perfect for people wanting more leg space during their journey. EC class washrooms are very hygienic and clean. The back of each EC train seat also contains small tables that passengers could use to keep their belongings and have meals.

EC train seats are usually very high and are similar to the first AC coaches. However, these are extremely comfortable since there would be less noise and more space. Many trains do not provide an EC class, but some contain these coaches, including the Shatabdi Express trains and the Tejas Express.

Air-Conditioned Chair Car (CC)

The AC chair car seats are arranged in a 3X2 manner in each row, which is usually the only difference between the CC seat and the EC train seats. These coaches are also completely air-conditioned, but because of the seating arrangement and the lesser space these provide, these coaches are perfect for shorter journeys during the day. This is why these coaches are usually present in trains offering short journeys. The chair car coaches also have amenities similar to the EC coaches, including the tables attached to the back of each seat. Luggage can be kept in the overhead storage space.

The head car coaches are very well-maintained and constantly cleaned by the Indian railways’ employees. The CC seat prices are usually higher than the lower than third AC coaches, but these are still preferred by many during short distances cause of the space and the privacy. Moreover, these coaches provide you with an experience that is a blend of a bus and a flight journey. These coaches can be found in premium trains like Duronto trains (offering daytime services), and Shatabdi Expresses. Some Jan-Shatabdi trains also contain 2 chair car coaches.

Besides the seating arrangement, there is not much difference between an EC chair and CC chair classes, and it is something you could book based on which one your train offers.