Women play a crucial role in society. Despite this, many women around the globe are still struggling for their rights. Every year, on March 8th, International Women’s Day is celebrated with the aim of raising awareness about women’s rights. Our country has been working towards empowering women for a long time. The railway has introduced several facilities to make travel easy and safe for women. However, not many people are aware of these facilities, resulting in limited utilization. On this occasion of International Women’s Day, let’s explore some of the provisions provided by the railway for women.
Ensuring Safety During Night Travel
If, for any reason, you find yourself traveling on a train during the night without a ticket, the TTE (Traveling Ticket Examiner) cannot force you to deboard. If anyone attempts to force you off the train, you can lodge a complaint with the women’s railway authorities.
Reserved Berths for Women
In the Long Distance Sleeper Class, each coach has a reserved quota of six berths for women. Similarly, in the Air Conditioned 3 Tier (3AC) class, there are four to five lower berths reserved per coach, and in the Air Conditioned 2 Tier (2AC) class, there are three to four lower berths reserved per coach.
Lower Berths for Senior Citizens
Under the computerized Passenger Reservation System of the railway, if you are a senior citizen woman aged 45 or above, and no seat options are provided during reservation, you will automatically be allocated a lower berth.
Reservation of Lower Berths for Pregnant Women
If you are pregnant and have been allotted a middle or upper berth, you can contact the ticket checking staff after boarding the train and request a lower berth instead, provided there are vacant lower berths available.
Standing Queue at Reservation Counters
Apart from online booking, for those reservation counters that do not yet have computerized systems and do not have special counters for women travelers, there is no need for women to stand in the general queue to obtain tickets.