For the convenience of female passengers, handicapped persons & senior citizens, Railways have provided the following reservation related facilities in trains:-

(i)                In all trains having reserved accommodation, a combined quota of two lower berths per coach has been earmarked in Sleeper, AC-3 tier and AC-2 tier classes for following category of passengers when travelling alone:-

a)                 Senior Citizens;

b)                 Female passenger 45 years of age and above; and

c)                 Pregnant women

(ii)             A reservation quota of two sleeper class berths has been earmarked in all trains running on non-suburban sections for handicapped persons performing their journey on handicapped concessional ticket.  The person accompanying the handicapped person as escort is also allotted the berth out of this quota.

(iii)           Specially designed coaches known as SLRD coaches with wider entrance doors to allow a wheel chair to enter, wider aisles and modified toilet with 4 berths, the lower two for physically challenged persons and upper berths for attendants have been attached in almost all Mail/Express trains except Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi Express Trains and Duronto Express Trains.  These coaches are treated as unreserved except in case of Garib Rath Trains.

(iv)           In Sleeper Class, a reservation quota of 6 berths is earmarked in Mail/Express trains for ladies irrespective of age travelling alone or in a group of female passengers.  Ladies special trains are also run wherever required and feasible.

(v)              Rear passenger portion of guard brake van (SLR) is also earmarked for ladies in certain Mail/Express trains for ladies passengers going without reservation.

(vi)           Accommodation is also earmarked for ladies & handicapped persons in Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU)/Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU)/passenger trains.

(vii)         Accommodation is also earmarked for senior citizens during specified hours on suburban sections by Central & Western Railways.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

AKS/HK/BS