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Indian Railways is taking significant steps to enhance accessibility and convenience for differently-abled passengers, known as Divyangjans. Recently, the railway board made a decision to reserve specific quotas for Divyangjans in all reserved Mail/Express trains, including prestigious ones like Rajdhani, Duronto, Vande Bharat, Humsafar, Gatimaan, and special fare trains, regardless of whether concessional fares are available for them or not.
The allocation of berths and seats in various classes and trains has been outlined as follows:
- Four berths in Sleeper class, including two lower berths and two middle berths.
- Four berths in 3E or 3A class, with the specific class to be decided by the concerned zonal Railway based on the availability of coaches.
- Four berths in SLRD coach of Garib Rath Express trains.
- Four seats in reserved Second Sitting (2S) or air-conditioned Chair Car (CC) in trains with more than two coaches of these classes, except for Vande Bharat Express trains.
- Four seats in Vande Bharat express trains, including specially designed seats (seat no. 40 in coach no. C1 and C7 for 8-car trains, and seat no. 40 in coach no. C1 and C14 for 16-car trains) for Divyangjans, with one adjacent seat for their escorts.
To prevent misuse of this provision, the facility for booking tickets under this quota online is available only to Divyangjans holding a unique ID card issued by the Railways. For counter bookings, this facility is available upon presentation of a unique ID card or a copy of the concessional certificate in the prescribed format. Railway counters offering concessional ticket booking services will provide this facility.
Railways also ensure verification of unique ID cards issued to Divyangjans, even on trains where concessional fare facilities are not available. When an eligible Divyangjans books a ticket against this quota in a train without concessional fares, a pop-up message informs them about the absence of concessional fare facilities. In Vande Bharat express trains, Divyangjans are assigned specially designed seats, and if these are occupied, vacant seats earmarked for their escorts are allotted to them.
These measures by Indian Railways aim to make train travel more inclusive and comfortable for Divyangjans. By providing dedicated quotas and ensuring strict verification processes, the railways are working towards creating a more accessible transportation system for all passengers, including those with disabilities.
