Lok Sabha Question No. 4365 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-21
Subject: Unutilized Berths to Senior Citizens
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, NARANBHAI KACHHADIA, SUDHEER GUPTA, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, ANWHAR RAAJHAA, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4365

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2018

## UNUTILIZED BERTHS TO SENIOR CITIZENS

## 4365.  KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI T. RADHAKRISHNAN:

SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN:

SHRI A. ANWHAR RAAJHAA:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government has decided to release unutilized berths in trains from women quota to waitlisted women passengers first and then
- to the senior citizens and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  other  facilities  being  provided  to  women  passengers  by  the Railways for their smooth travel in trains;
- (c) whether the Railways has also decided to go paperless by not pasting reservation chart on reserved coaches of all trains and if so, the details in this regard;
- (d) whether the Railways has installed digital display of charts for tickets confirmed from waitlisted category in some stations and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken to provide such facility in all railway stations of the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

- (a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4365 BY KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, SHRI  T.  RADHAKRISHNAN,  SHRI  NARANBHAI  KACHHADIYA,  SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA, SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR, SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, SHRI A. ANWHAR RAAJHAA, SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO AND SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 21.03.2018 REGARDING UNUTILIZED BERTHS TO SENIOR CITIZENS

(a):  With  a  view  to  facilitate  travelling  of  female  passengers  by train, a reservation quota of six berths in sleeper class(SL) in long distance Mail/Express trains and a reservation quota of six berths in 3AC  class  of  Garib  Rath  Express  trains  has  been  earmarked  for exclusive use of female passengers irrespective of their age, while travelling alone or in group of female passengers.  It has also been decided that at the time of preparation of first reservation charts, the unutilised accommodation out of this quota will be released to waiting list female passengers travelling alone or in group of female passengers followed by waiting list senior citizens. If there are no such passengers, and berths are left vacant, onboard  ticket checking staff has been authorised to allot this accommodation to any  other  lady  passenger/senior  citizen  on  partially  confirmed ticket,  if  any,  after  making  necessary  entries  in  the  reservation chart.

(b): In addition to the facilities mentioned in reply to part(a) above, the  other  facilities  being  provided  to  women  passengers  by  the railways for their smooth travelling are as under:-

- (i) A  combined  quota  of  six  lower  berths  per  coach  in  Sleeper class  and  three  lower  berths  per  coach  in  Air  Conditioned  3 tier  (3AC)  and  Air  Conditioned 2  tier  (2AC)  classes  for  senior

citizens,  female  passengers  45  years  of  age  and  above,  and pregnant  women.    In  case  of  Rajdhani,  Duronto  and  fully  Air Conditioned  Express  trains,  the  number    of  berths  to  be earmarked under this quota in 3AC is 4 lower berths per coach as  against  3  lower  berths  per  coach  in  normal  Mail/Express trains.

- (ii) Unreserved  coaches/compartments  for  female  passengers  in EMU  (Electrical Multiple Unit)/DMU  (Diesel Multiple Unit)/ MMTS (Multi Modal Transport System) trains & local passenger trains  depending upon demand pattern as well as availability of accommodation.
- (iii) Running  of  ladies  special  Electrical  Multiple  Units  (EMU)/ Mainline Electrical Multiple Units (MEMU) / Multi Modal Transport  System  (MMTS)  services  on  the  suburban  sections of Mumbai, Kolkata, Secunderabad and Chennai as well as on the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) sections.
- (iv) Second class accommodation for women in the second Classcum-Luggage-cum  Guard's  Coach(SLR)  in  most  of  the  long distance trains.

(c): Yes, Madam.  Based on a similar successful experiment conducted  by  South  Western  Railway,  the  practice  of  pasting  of reservation charts on train coaches was discontinued at New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Bombay Central, Chennai Central, Howrah and Sealdah  stations  of  Indian  Railways  on  experimental  basis  for  a period  of  three  months.  Keeping  in  view  the  positive  feedback received  from  Zonal  Railways,  it  has  been  decided  to  discontinue pasting  of  reservation  charts  on  reserved  coaches  of  trains  at  all erstwhile A1, A & B category of stations as a  pilot project for six months starting from 01.03.2018.

(d)&(e):  At  present  the  facility  of  digital  display  of  reservation charts has been provided at approximately 92 locations on Indian Railways.  Provision of improved facilities for passengers including digital  display  of  reservation  charts  is  a  continuous  and  ongoing process.

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