Indian Railways: Senior citizens get these 3 special facilities on the train, very few people know this
Senior Citizen Railway ticket rules: Most people are not aware of the many facilities available to elderly passengers during rail travel. Let us know about three such excellent facilities that senior citizen passengers can easily avail.
Indian Railways, called the lifeline of the country, claims to provide all kinds of facilities to its passengers. These include different facilities for passengers of every age and class. Railways consider men of 60 years or above and women of 58 years or above as senior citizens. Railways also take full care of these senior citizen passengers.
However, most people are not aware of the many facilities available to these elderly passengers during rail travel. Let us know about three such excellent facilities which senior citizen passengers can easily avail.
Lower Berth Reservation For Senior Citizens
Except for a few trains of Indian Railways, most of them have two types of coaches, reserved and unreserved. There are three types of berths, lower, middle, and upper. During reservation, keeping in mind the facilities of elderly passengers, the railway allots lower berth on a priority basis. In the case of female passengers, this facility is given only after completing 45 years of age. At the time of reservation, they are automatically given a lower berth by computer.
First right on the empty lower berth in a running train (Lower Berth Quota for Senior Citizens)
This facility is given to senior citizens only on the basis of seat availability. At the same time, if the lower berth is not available at the time of reservation, then elderly passengers can meet the TTE and demand if the lower berth is empty in the running train. According to the rules of the railways, if any lower berth remains empty after the train opens, then senior citizens with middle or upper berth can request the TTE to allow it. After completing some formalities, the TTE allows them berths.
Seats for elderly passengers in sleeper and AC coaches (IRCTC Senior Citizen Quota)
All trains with reserved coaches of Indian Railways have some berths reserved for senior citizens. According to the rules, six lower berths are reserved for all sleeper coaches. At the same time, three lower berths are reserved for senior citizens in AC 3 tier and AC 2 tier coaches. However, as per the need, women above 45 years of age and pregnant passengers are also seated on these seats or berths.
At the same time, in all AC coach trains like Rajdhani Express and Duronto Express, more berths are reserved for senior citizens than in general mail and express trains.
Reservation in local trains of metros too (Senior Citizen Reservation)
Railway local trains are very famous in cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai in the country. Central and Western Railways operate local trains in Mumbai. Some seats are reserved for senior citizens in the local trains of both these zones. In most such trains, seats are reserved for women in the coaches reserved for them. Apart from this, wheelchairs and porters, etc. are available for senior citizens at major stations of the country. However, a fixed fee has to be paid for the porter.