Lok Sabha Question No. 1005 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-08
Subject: Exclusive Trains for Patients
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Mimi Chakraborty

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1005 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2023

## EXCLUSIVE TRAINS FOR PATIENTS

1005. MS. MIMI CHAKRABORTY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  Indian  Railways  fails  to  confirm tickets for patients travelling from North-Bengal of West Bengal to Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and other medical hubs;
- (b) if  so,  the  average  number  of  tickets  that  are  issued/sold and got confirmed during the year 2022 from stations of Coochbehar, New Jalpaiguri, Katihar, Farakka, Malda to Vijayawada, Chennai, Katpadi, Bengaluru and reverse reservations therein, month-wise; and
- (c) the proposal of the Government to run exclusive trains for patients to have treatment from such destinations?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

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

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1005 BY MS. MIMI CHAKRABORTY TO BE ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  08.02.2023  REGARDING  EXCLUSIVE TRAINS FOR PATIENTS. (a) & (b) : On Indian Railways, reserved tickets are issued on first come first  serve  basis.  Initially,  confirmed  tickets  are  issued  and  thereafter RAC/waiting  list  tickets  are  issued.  The  status  of  a  RAC/waiting  list ticket  gets  updated  against  the  cancellation  of  tickets  issued  prior  to such  tickets  and  also  on  account  of  release  of  accommodation  of unutilized reservation quota at the time of preparation of first reservation  charts.  Moreover,  on  Indian  Railways,  demand  pattern  of reserved accommodation is not uniform throughout the year and it varies over lean and peak periods. It is applicable to all trains including those serving the passengers travelling from North Bengal of West Bengal to the stations falling in Southern parts of India. Waiting  list  position  of  trains  is  monitored  on  regular  basis  and  to cater  to  demand,  efforts  are  made  to  provide  additional  reserved accommodation, subject to operational feasibility. Schemes like Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme known as VIKALP and Upgradation have also been introduced to provide confirmed accommodation to the passengers including patients. Further, patients can also approach nearest Emergency Quota (EQ) controlling authority to get their waiting list tickets confirmed out of EQ where such requests are considered along with others as per provisions of extant guidelines. In addition, Cancer patients and their attendant booking reserved tickets across  computerized  Passenger  Reservation  System  (PRS)  counters  of Indian Railways have been given direct access to the Emergency Quota to the extent of 2 berths/seats each in first class (FC), Air Conditioned 2 tier  (2A),  Air  Conditioned  3tier  (3A)  and  Air  Conditioned  Chair  Car  (CC) classes  and  4  berths  in  Sleeper  class.    Separate  cancer  patient  quota has  also  been  earmarked  in  certain  identified  trains.  Separate  data regarding number of tickets issued to patients and its confirmation out of Emergency Quota is, however, not maintained. (c) : There is no such proposal on running of exclusive trains for patients to have treatment.

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