BHOPAL: Bhopal divisional railway has constituted two wings of Railway Protection Force (RPF) - Ahilya Bai and Avanti Bai - for safety of women passengers in trains. Each wing will have one sub inspector, two women constables and two male constables. Avanti Bai will work on Bhopal-Bina and Bhopal-Itarsi route while Ahilya Bai will work on Itarsi-Khandwa and Itarsi-Bhopal route. Divisional railway manager RM Uday Borwanker took the initiative for safety of women passengers.
Railway minister Piyush Goyal had dedicated 2018 as a year wherein railways collectively prevented atrocities against women and children especially human trafficking.
As women often become prey to harassment in moving trains, Indian Railways have introduced sections and subsections in Indian Railways Act, 1989, which are specially framed keeping in view the safety of women passengers.
Women’s safety under Indian Railways Act, 1989
Section 58: Separate compartments for women
Sections 162: Carriages or compartments that are reserved for women cannot be occupied by men. A boy less than 12 year-old is allowed with his female kin
Section 310: Women ticket collectors are posted. It is their duty to accommodate women passengers
Section 139: During train travel, if a woman with her child is not accompanied by a male passenger and found without ticket/railway pass from 6 pm to 6 am, no railway authority can remove her.
