Mumbai: Western Railway (WR) has introduced dedicated coaches for senior citizens in 27 local trains, pulling well ahead of Central Railway (CR), which has implemented the facility in only five locals leaving elderly commuters on one of the city's busiest corridors still struggling during peak hours.
The initiative follows a Railway Board directive to convert existing luggage compartments into senior citizen-only coaches across all non-AC local trains. Although CR was the first to implement the scheme in June, its progress has slowed considerably since. WR, in contrast, has moved ahead at a faster pace.
Each converted coach has seating for 13 passengers comprising three 3-seater benches and two 2-seater units and can accommodate over 50 standing passengers. An emergency ladder has been installed under the frame at both doors. The conversion cost is approximately ₹4.4–4.5 lakh per coach. CR has allocated around ₹7.57 crore for the full rollout, while Western Railway has earmarked about ₹4.63 crore.
Mumbai is home to an estimated 18 lakh senior citizens aged 60 and above, and experts say around 35–40% of them depend on local trains as their primary mode of transport due to affordability and connectivity. However, peak-hour congestion makes boarding and alighting extremely difficult and often unsafe for the elderly, a concern long highlighted under both national and state policies for older persons.
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Quote-
1
This demand has been pending for a very long time. Western Railway is showing greater concern towards the elderly. Central Railway needs to follow suit. More such coaches should be introduced so that senior citizens can travel safely. I appreciate the Railways for this initiative.
— Prakash Narayan Borgaonkar, CEO, Aaji Care Sevak Foundation
2
After the High Court order, the railways started converting luggage coaches into senior citizen compartments. However, senior citizens still face difficulties while travelling. There is no proper signage on platforms to indicate these coaches, and the railways have not conducted adequate awareness campaigns about the dedicated compartments. Authorities should take necessary steps to address these issues.
- Sailesh Mishra
Founder
Silver Inning Foundation
Locals with sr citizen coach -CR-5 / WR-27
Budget allocated- CR-₹7.57 cr/ WR- ₹4.63 cr
Cost per coach- ₹4.4–4.5 lakh
Seating capacity per coach -13
Standing capacity - 50+
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