**Executive Summary**
This document addresses Unstarred Question No. 1668 for the Lok Sabha, to be answered on December 10, 2025, regarding attendant-assisted wheelchair services at railway stations. The Minister of Railways provides details on the availability of wheelchairs, the provision of licensed porters as escorts, and other initiatives to improve facilities for elderly, disabled, and sick passengers. The response covers existing provisions and does not explicitly mention any immediate action items or deadlines.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Wheelchair and Attendant Services:**
* Railways provide wheelchairs free of cost to attendants of Divyangjan (Persons with Disabilities), senior citizens, and others to escort them.
* Licensed porters (Sahayaks) are available for hire at pre-fixed rates when attendants are unavailable.
* **Passenger Reservation System (PRS) and Berth Allocation:**
* Lower berths are automatically allotted to senior citizens and female passengers (45+) where available.
* A combined quota of lower berths is earmarked for senior citizens, female passengers (45+), and pregnant women in Sleeper, 3AC, and 2AC classes.
* Instructions have been issued for earmarking a minimum of 07 seats for senior citizens in general compartments of local trains.
* Ticket Checking Staff can allot vacant lower berths to persons with disabilities, senior citizens, or pregnant women after departure.
* **Reservation Quota for Divyangjan:**
* Four berths are earmarked in Sleeper class and in 3E/3A class for Divyangjan.
* Four berths are allocated in SLRD coaches of Garib Rath Express trains, and four seats in reserved Second Sitting/air-conditioned Chair Car.
* Instructions issued that SLRD coaches should be treated as unreserved for exclusive use of Divyangjan in Mail/Express Trains.
* In Garib Rath Express Trains and other fully reserved trains, these coaches are treated as reserved for booking by Persons with Disabilities travelling on handicapped concession.
* Lower berths are allotted to Divyangjan, and accompanying escorts are allotted middle/upper berths where possible.
* Ticket Checking Staff can allot vacant lower berths to Divyangjan holding handicapped concession tickets after departure of the train.
* **Passenger Assistance and Booking:**
* Separate counters are earmarked at PRS centres for Divyangjan, senior citizens, MPs, MLAs, journalists, and freedom fighters if demand is high.
* Concessional online ticket booking facility is available for Divyangjan and patients with photo identity cards.
* Accompanying escorts are also eligible for concession.
* **Battery Operated Vehicles (BOVs):**
* BOVs are available at major railway stations for passengers with preference to Divyangjan, senior citizens, sick passengers, and pregnant women.
* These services are provided free through CSR/Sponsorship or on a chargeable basis. 196 BOVs are available at 79 stations.
* **Continuous Improvement:**
* Upgradation of passenger facilities for Divyangjan, sick, and elderly persons is a continuous and ongoing process.
**Impact Analysis**
**Divyangjan (Persons with Disabilities)**
* **Impact:** Improved access to wheelchair services, reserved berths, concessional booking, and assistance.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available facilities, carry necessary identification for concessions.
**Senior Citizens**
* **Impact:** Priority access to lower berths, reserved seats in local trains, and assistance at stations.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available facilities, present age proof when required.
**Pregnant Women**
* **Impact:** Priority access to lower berths.
* **Action Required:** Request for vacant lower berths after departure of train.
**Sick Passengers**
* **Impact:** Access to wheelchair assistance and BOV services.
* **Action Required:** Request assistance as needed.
**Zonal Railways**
* **Impact:** Need to implement guidelines for earmarking seats, allotting berths, and managing reservation counters.
* **Action Required:** Ensure compliance with directives, monitor utilization of reserved quotas, identify locations for BOV services.
**Ticket Checking Staff**
* **Impact:** Authority to allot vacant lower berths to eligible passengers after departure.
* **Action Required:** Implement procedure for allotting berths, maintain accurate records.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Railways: The Indian government ministry responsible for the operation of the country's railway system.
Indian Railways: The state-owned railway company responsible for rail transport in India.
Passenger Reservation System (PRS): Computerized system for booking train tickets, allotting berths, and managing passenger data in Indian Railways.
Divyangjan: Designation for Persons with Disabilities, used by the Government of India.
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.
(v) The following reservation quota for Divyangjan has been earmarked
in all Mail/Express trains including Rajdhani/Shatabdi type trains
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 ofthat 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 thesecategories 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.
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