MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)
(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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 Class-cum-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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