Lok Sabha Question No. 1668 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Attendant-Assisted Wheelchair Services at Railway Stations
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Maddila Gurumoorthy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1668 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025.

ATTENDANT-ASSISTED WHEELCHAIR SERVICES AT RAILWAY STATIONS 1668.  SHRI MADDILA GURUMOORTHY:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  ensure  the availability of trained attendant-assisted wheelchair services at all railway stations to help the elderly, disabled, and sick passengers;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  specific  data  on  the  current coverage  of  wheelchair  assistance  nationwide  and  the  hurdles encountered at numerous stations; and
- (c) whether there are any plans to incorporate this service requirement into a national rail passenger service policy and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (c):  Wheelchairs  are  provided  by  Railways  and  are  given  to attendants of the Divyangjan, Senior Citizens etc free of cost to escort them  from  and  to  the  trains.  However,  whenever  attendants  are  not available, licensed porters (Sahayaks) can be hired on pre-fixed nominal rate to escort  the  Divyangjan  etc.  Information  in this regard  are displayed  at  prominent  places  in  railway  station  premises.  At  present, wheelchairs are available at 5868 stations over Indian Railways.
- Other  initiatives  taken  towards  providing  improved  facilities  for elderly, disabled and sick passengers  include  the following: (i) In the computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS) there is a provision to allot lower berths to Senior Citizens, Female passengers of 45 years and above automatically, even if no choice is given, subject to availability of accommodation at the time of booking. (ii)  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 women. (iii) Instructions  have  been  issued  for  earmarking  a  minimum  of  07 seats for senior citizens in 1st and last 2nd class general compartment for entire period of local train services on suburban sections of all Zonal Railways. (iv) After  departure  of  the  train,  if  there  are  vacant  lower  berths available  in  the  train  and  if  any  person  with  disability  booked  on  the authority  of  handicapped  concession  or  a  senior  citizen  or  a  pregnant woman,  who  has  been  allotted  upper/middle  berth,  approaches  for allotment of vacant lower berths, the on board Ticket Checking Staff has been  authorized  to allot  the  vacant  lower  berth  to  them  making necessary entries in the chart. The following reservation quota for Divyangjan has been earmarked trains
- (v) in all Mail/Express trains including Rajdhani/Shatabdi type irrespective of the availability of concessional facilities to Divyangjan:-
- a)  Four  berths  in  Sleeper  class  (two  lower  and  two  middle).  b)  Four berths in 3E or 3A class (two lower and two middle). (The class out of these two i.e. 3E/3A in which quota is to be earmarked can be decided by Zonal Railway concerned keeping in view the number of coaches of

that  class  available  in  the  train).  c)  Four  berths  in  Special  Reserved Coach for Disabled (SLRD) coach of Garib Rath Express trains. d) Four seats in reserved Second Sitting (2S)/ air-conditioned Chair Car (CC) in those trains which have more than two coaches of these classes. (vi) Instructions  have  been  issued  that  in  all  Mail/Express  Trains (except  fully  reserved  trains),  the  SLRD  coaches  should  be  treated  as unreserved  coaches  earmarked  for  exclusive  use  of  Persons  with Disabilities (Divyangjan). (vii) In  case  of  Garib  Rath  Express  Trains  and  other  fully  reserved trains,  these  coaches  are  treated  as  reserved  for  booking  by  Persons with  Disabilities  (Divyangjan)  travelling  on  handicapped  concession  on payment of due fare of that class on first come first served basis. (viii)  Instructions  have  also  been  issued  that  in  the  tickets  issued through  Computerized  Passenger  Reservation  System,  to  the  extent feasible,  one  lower  berth  should  be  allotted  to  the  Persons  with Disabilities (Divyangjan) and the person accompanying him/her as escort should  be  allotted  middle/upper  berths  near  the  person  with  disability subject to availability of accommodation. (ix) After  departure  of  the  train,  if  there  are  vacant  lower  berths available  in  the  train,  and  if  any  Persons  with  Disabilities  (Divyangjan) booked  on  the  authority  of  handicapped  concessional  ticket,  who  has been  allotted  upper/middle  berth,  approaches  for  allotment  of  vacant lower berths, the on-board ticket checking staff has been authorized to allot  the  vacant  lower  berth  to  them  making  necessary  entries  in  the chart.

- (x) Separate counters are earmarked at various Passenger Reservation System(PRS)  centres for dealing with the reservation requisitions received from Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), senior citizens, Ex. MPs, MLAs, accredited journalists and freedom fighters, if the average demand per shift not less than 120 tickets. In case there is no justification for earmarking of an exclusive counter for any of these

categories  of  persons  including  Persons  with  Disabilities  (Divyangjan), one or two counters depending upon the total demand are earmarked for dealing with the reservation requests for all these categories of persons. (xi) Concessional  online  ticket  booking  facility  has  been  extended  to the Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) on the basis of photo identity cards  issued  by  the  Zonal  Railways  and  to  patients  suffering  from certain illnesses. One escort accompanying the Divyangjan and patients suffering  from  certain  illnesses  is  also  eligible  for  same  element  of concession. (xii) Battery  Operated  Vehicles  (BOVs)  are  provided  at  major  railway stations to passengers  on  'first  come  first  serve'  basis  with  due preference to Divyangjans, Senior Citizens, Sick passengers and Pregnant women.  This facility is provided 'free of cost' through Corporate  Social  Responsibility/Sponsorship  and  on  chargeable  basis through  service  provider.  At  present,  196  BOVs  are  available  at  79 stations,  out  of  which  165  are  on  chargeable  basis,  10  are  free  via publicity route and 21 are free via CSR route. However,  upgradation  of  passenger  facilities  including  enhanced facilities  to  Divyangjans,  sick  and  elderly  persons  is  a  continuous  and ongoing process. ********