**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Railways announced initiatives to improve facilities for Divyangjan, senior citizens, sick passengers, and pregnant women. Wheelchairs are available at 5,868 railway stations across the country. Additionally, 196 battery-operated vehicles (BOVs) are available at 79 major railway stations. The concessional online ticket booking has been extended to Divyangjan and patients with certain illnesses, also allowing one escort to be eligible for the same concession. The information was released on December 10, 2023.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Wheelchair Access:**
* Wheelchairs are available free of cost at 5,868 railway stations.
* Licensed porters (Sahayaks) can be hired at a pre-fixed rate when attendants are not available.
* **Battery Operated Vehicles (BOVs):**
* 196 BOVs are available at 79 major railway stations.
* BOVs are provided on a 'first come first serve' basis, prioritizing Divyangjan, senior citizens, sick passengers, and pregnant women.
* The BOV facility is available free through CSR/sponsorship and on a chargeable basis through a service provider. Of the 196 BOVs, 165 are on a chargeable basis, 10 are free via publicity, and 21 are free via CSR.
* **Lower Berth Allocation:**
* Lower berths are automatically allotted to senior citizens and female passengers (45 years and above) in the Passenger Reservation System (PRS), if available.
* A quota of lower berths is earmarked per coach in Sleeper, 3AC, and 2AC classes for senior citizens, female passengers (45 years and above), and pregnant women (6-7 in sleeper class, 4-5 in 3AC class, 3-4 in 2AC class).
* Minimum of 07 seats are earmarked for senior citizens in 1st and last 2nd class general compartment for entire period of local train services.
* On-board ticket checking staff can allot vacant lower berths after departure to Divyangjan, senior citizens, or pregnant women with upper/middle berths.
* One lower berth, to the extent feasible, should be allotted to Divyangjan with the person accompanying him/her allotted middle/upper berths nearby, subject to availability.
* **Reservation Quota for Divyangjan:**
* Four berths are reserved in Sleeper class (two lower, two middle).
* Four berths are reserved in 3E/3A class (two lower, two middle).
* Four berths are reserved in the SLRD coach of Garib Rath Express trains.
* Four seats are reserved in Second Sitting/air-conditioned Chair Car (2S/CC) in trains with more than two such coaches.
* SLRD coaches in Mail/Express trains (except fully reserved trains) are to be treated as unreserved for exclusive use by Divyangjan.
* **Ticket Booking and Concessions:**
* Concessional online ticket booking extended to Divyangjan and patients with certain illnesses and one escort on the basis of photo identity cards issued by the Zonal Railways.
* Separate counters are earmarked at PRS centres for Divyangjan, senior citizens, Ex. MPs, MLAs, accredited journalists, and freedom fighters (if demand exceeds 120 tickets).
**Impact Analysis**
**Divyangjan (Persons with Disabilities)**
*Impact:* Improved accessibility and ease of travel through reserved berths, wheelchair availability, BOV access, and extended online booking.
*Action Required:* Utilize the available facilities, provide necessary identification, and be aware of the revised procedures for berth allocation.
**Senior Citizens**
*Impact:* Improved accessibility and ease of travel through reserved berths, wheelchair availability, and BOV access.
*Action Required:* Utilize the available facilities and be aware of the revised procedures for berth allocation.
**Sick Passengers**
*Impact:* Improved accessibility and ease of travel through BOV access and extended online booking for certain illnesses.
*Action Required:* Utilize the available facilities and provide necessary identification for online booking if applicable.
**Pregnant Women**
*Impact:* Improved accessibility and ease of travel through reserved berths and BOV access.
*Action Required:* Utilize the available facilities and be aware of the revised procedures for berth allocation.
**Railway Staff (Ticket Checking Staff)**
*Impact:* New responsibilities in allotting vacant lower berths after departure.
*Action Required:* Adhere to the updated instructions regarding the allotment of vacant lower berths to eligible passengers.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Railways: The provider of railway services and facilities, including those for Divyangjan and senior citizens.
Passenger Reservation System (PRS): The computerized system used for booking train tickets, which includes provisions for prioritizing certain passengers.
Ministry of Railways: The governing body responsible for railway policies and services.
Zonal Railways: The regional divisions of Indian Railways, responsible for implementing policies and managing train services within their respective zones.
Ministry of Railways
Wheelchairs Available at 5,868 Railway Stations
Across Country to Assist Divyangjan and Senior
Citizens
196 Battery Operated Vehicles Available at 79 Major Railway
Stations, Prioritising Divyangjans, Senior Citizens, Sick
Passengers, and Pregnant Women
Concessional Online Ticket Booking Extended to Divyangjan
and Patients with Certain Illnesses; One Escort Also Eligible
for Same Concession
प्रव तथ: 10 DEC 2025 4:57PM by PIB Delhi
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 is 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 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.
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and
Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to a question in Lok
Sabha today.
*****Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki/ Manik Sharma
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2201576) आगंतुक पटल : 435
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