Modified luggage room coaches earmarked for differently abled
Posted on Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by vetri nadai
Recognising the need of physically challenged persons, Railways have decided to make special arrangements to accommodate them in all Mail and Express trains. Second class luggage room coaches are being modified to facilitate boarding of trains by the differently abled persons.
"It has been decided that all Mail and Express trains with modified coaches known as SLRD coaches will have reserved seats for physically challenged persons," said a senior Railway Ministry official. Doors of SLRD coaches are being widened to facilitate the boarding of passengers with wheel-chairs. Railways had made a commitment to a parliamentary committee to make special provision for facilitating boarding of trains by physically challenged passengers.
There are total four seats in unreserved category in SLRD coaches and now these have been earmarked exclusively for the physically challenged passengers and their escorts. However, this will not be applicable to fully reserved trains like Garib Rath trains. Besides the SLRD coaches, Railways have also decided to provide 'handicapped quota' of two sleeper class berths -- one lower berth for the physically challenged person and the middle berth for for escort. "The handicapped quota was earlier withdrawn after the introduction of SLRD coaches. Now it has been restored," said the official (zee news)
