Lok Sabha Question No. 148 (STARRED), answered on 2019-02-13
Subject: Ladies Compartments in Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: VIKRAM USENDI, BANSHILAL MAHTO

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 148 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2019

## LADIES COMPARTMENTS IN TRAINS

†*148.  SHRI VIKRAM USENDI: DR. BANSHILAL MAHATO:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  there  is  very  less  number  of  ladies  compartments  in various  trains  running  on  important  routes  in  the  country  and  if  so, the reasons therefor;
- (b)  the  region/zone-wise  number  of  cases  of  rape,  molestation  and assault on women registered by RPF and GRPF in the country during the last three years;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  increase  the  number  of ladies  compartments/coaches  to  ensure  adequate  safety  of  women passengers in trains and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government for safe and convenient travel of women passengers?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COAL, FINANCE AND CORPORATE AFFAIRS (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

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

*****

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF STARRED  QUESTION  NO.148  BY  SHRI  VIKRAM  USENDI  AND DR.  BANSHILAL  MAHATO  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON 13.02.2019 REGARDING LADIES COMPARTMENTS IN TRAINS

(a): Section 58 of the Railways Act, 1989 provides for earmarking of accommodation for female passengers in trains. Accordingly, in trains carrying passengers, Indian Railways have earmarked following accommodation for female passengers:

- i. A reservation quota of six berths in sleeper class in long distance Mail/Express trains and a reservation quota of six berths  in  3AC  class  of  Garib  Rath/Rajdhani/Duronto/fully air-conditioned Express trains for female passengers irrespective  of  their  age  travelling  alone  or  in  a  group  of female passengers.
2. A combined quota of six to seven lower berths per coach in Sleeper class, four to five lower berths per coach each in  Air  Conditioned  3  tier  (3AC)  and  three  to  four  lower berths  per  coach  in  Air  Conditioned  2  tier  (2AC)  classes (depending on the number of coaches of that class in the train)  has  been  earmarked  for  senior  citizens,  female passengers  45  years  of  age  and  above  and  pregnant
- ii. women.
4. Second  class  accommodation  for  women  in  the  second Class-cum-Luggage-cum  Guard's  Coach  (SLR)  in  most  of
- iii. the long distance trains.
- iv. Exclusive  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.
- v. Running  of  ladies  special  EMU/MEMU/MMTS  services  on the suburban sections of Mumbai, Kolkata, Secunderabad and  Chennai  as  well  as  on  the  Delhi-National  Capital Region (NCR) sections.
8. (b)          Policing  of  Railways  being  a  State  subject,  prevention  of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of  law  &  order  in  Railway  premises  as  well  as  on  running  trains are the statutory responsibility of the State Governments, which they discharge through Government Railway Police (GRP)/District Police. However, Railway Protection Force (RPF) supplements the efforts of GRP  to  provide  better protection and  security of passenger area and passengers. Cases of Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes in Railways are registered and investigated by the concerned Government Railway Police. Railways does not maintain  any  data  on  Indian  Penal  Code  crimes.  Whenever  any information  about  status  of  crime  on  Railways  is  sought,  State GRP is  requested  to  provide  the  information.  Based  on  the  data provided  by  Government  Railway  Police  Stations,  the  number  of cases of rape, molestation and assault on women passengers in trains  registered  by  GRP  during  the  years  2016,  2017  and  2018 over Indian Railways are appended.

(c)  & (d): Earmarking of accommodation for female passengers in trains, its review based on demand pattern and provision of other facilities for their safe and comfortable journey is a continuous and ongoing  exercise.  However,  in  addition  to  the  accommodation earmarked for female passengers as mentioned in reply to part(a), following  other  major  steps  have  been  taken  by  Indian  Railways (some in co-ordination with Government Railway Police) to ensure safe & comfortable journey of female passengers:-

- i. On vulnerable and identified routes/sections, 2500 trains (on an average) are escorted by Railway Protection Force daily in addition  to  2200  trains  escorted  by  Government  Railway Police of different States daily.
- ii. Security  Help  Line  number  182  is  made  operational  over Indian Railways for security related assistance to passengers in distress.
- iii. Through various social media platforms viz. twitter, facebook etc., Railways are in regular touch with passengers including women  to  enhance  security  of  passengers  and  to  address their security concern.
- iv. Drives  are  conducted  against  entry  of  male  passengers  for entering into compartments reserved for women passengers and persons apprehended are prosecuted as per law.
5. v.
6. Ladies Special trains running in Metropolitan cities are being escorted  by  lady  RPF  personnel.  In  other  trains,  where escorts  are  provided,  the  train  escorting  parties  have  been
7. briefed to keep extra vigil on the lady passengers travelling alone, ladies coaches en-route and at halting stations.
- vi. Surveillance  is  kept  through  CCTV  cameras,  provided  at about 453 stations over Indian Railways, to ensure safety and security of passengers.
- vii. An Integrated Security System (ISS) consisting of surveillance  of  vulnerable  stations  through  Close  Circuit Television  Camera  Network,  Access  Control  etc.  has  been sanctioned  to  improve  surveillance  mechanism  over  202 railway stations.
- viii. All Railway Stations and  passenger carrying trains are planned to be  progressively  provided  with  CCTV  based surveillance system.
- ix. Frequent  announcements  are  made  through  Public  Address System  to  educate  passengers  to  take  precautions  against theft, snatching, drugging etc.
- x. Regular  coordination  is  made  with  the  State  Police/GRP authorities at all levels for prevention of crime, registration of cases, their investigation and maintenance of law & order in Railway premises as well as on running trains.
13. Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras have been provided in  Humsafar  and  Tejas  train  services.  These  are  being proliferated further in other coaches in a phased manner on Indian  Railways  (IR)  to  improve  security  of  passengers,
- xi. including women passengers.

APPENDIX  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  STARRED QUESTION NO. 148 BY SHRI VIKRAM USENDI AND DR. BANSHILAL MAHATO  TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  13.02.2019 REGARDING LADIES COMPARTMENTS IN TRAINS (b):  The  number  of  cases  of  rape,  molestation  and  assault  on women  passengers  in  trains  registered  by  GRP  during  the  years 2016, 2017 and 2018 over Indian Railways are as under:-

| Zonal Railway   | Year   | No. of cases of crimes against women passengers in trains registered   | No. of cases of crimes against women passengers in trains registered   | No. of cases of crimes against women passengers in trains registered   |
|-----------------|--------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Central         |        | Rape                                                                   | Molestation                                                            | Assault                                                                |
|                 | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 59                                                                     | 1                                                                      |
|                 | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 41                                                                     | 2                                                                      |
|                 | 2018   | 2                                                                      | 62                                                                     | 2                                                                      |
| Eastern         | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 26                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
|                 | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 20                                                                     | 2                                                                      |
|                 | 2018   | 0                                                                      | 21                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| East            | 2016   | 1                                                                      | 23                                                                     | 1                                                                      |
| Central         | 2017   | 1                                                                      | 15                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
|                 | 2018   | 0                                                                      | 9                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| East Coast      | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 2                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
|                 | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 5                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
|                 | 2018   | 0                                                                      | 8                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Northern        | 2016   | 1                                                                      | 22                                                                     | 1                                                                      |
|                 | 2017   | 5                                                                      | 25                                                                     | 1                                                                      |
|                 | 2018   | 2                                                                      | 26                                                                     | 1                                                                      |
| North           | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 14                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| Central         | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 20                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
|                 | 2018   | 0                                                                      | 33                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| North           | 2016   | 4                                                                      | 7                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Eastern         | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 4                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
|                 | 2018   | 1                                                                      | 5                                                                      | 0                                                                      |

| Zonal Railway      | Year   | No. of cases of crimes against women passengers in trains registered   | No. of cases of crimes against women passengers in trains registered   | No. of cases of crimes against women passengers in trains registered   |
|--------------------|--------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Zonal Railway      | Year   | Rape                                                                   | Molestation                                                            | Assault                                                                |
| Northeast Frontier | 2016   | 1                                                                      | 5                                                                      | 3                                                                      |
| Northeast Frontier | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 6                                                                      | 1                                                                      |
| Northeast Frontier | 2018   | 3                                                                      | 4                                                                      | 1                                                                      |
| North              | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 4                                                                      | 2                                                                      |
| Western            | 2017   | 1                                                                      | 4                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Western            | 2018   | 0                                                                      | 5                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Southern           | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 43                                                                     | 5                                                                      |
| Southern           | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 51                                                                     | 3                                                                      |
| Southern           | 2018   | 2                                                                      | 71                                                                     | 8                                                                      |
| South Central      | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 12                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| South Central      | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 14                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| South Central      | 2018   | 0                                                                      | 11                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| South              | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 7                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Eastern            | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 4                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Eastern            | 2018   | 1                                                                      | 7                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| South East         | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 8                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Central            | 2017   | 1                                                                      | 3                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Central            | 2018   | 1                                                                      | 3                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| South              | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 0                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Western            | 2017   | 0                                                                      | 1                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Western            | 2018   | 0                                                                      | 3                                                                      | 0                                                                      |
| Western            | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 18                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| Western            | 2017   | 1                                                                      | 16                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| Western            | 2018   | 0                                                                      | 30                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| West               | 2016   | 0                                                                      | 29                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| Central            | 2017   | 1                                                                      | 20                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| Central            | 2018   | 3                                                                      | 30                                                                     | 0                                                                      |
| Total              | 2016   | 7                                                                      | 279                                                                    | 13                                                                     |
| Total              | 2017   | 10                                                                     | 249                                                                    | 9                                                                      |
| Total              | 2018   | 15                                                                     | 328                                                                    | 12                                                                     |