Central Railway Unveils Mumbai's First Dedicated Local Train Compartment For Senior Citizens; Western Railway To Follow Soon

Mumbai: Central Railway has introduced the first local train rake equipped with a dedicated and specially renovated compartment for senior citizens recently. Meanwhile, Western Railway is in the process of launching a similar facility, with plans already underway.

"Central Railway’s Matunga Workshop has successfully rolled out the first Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) rake (local train) featuring a dedicated compartment for senior citizens in the Mumbai suburban network. The initiative, taken in immediate response to Railway Board directives, involved converting a middle luggage compartment in the sixth coach from the Mumbai end into an exclusive space for elderly passengers. This move marks a significant step toward inclusive mobility and aims to reduce the challenges senior citizens face while boarding and deboarding trains, particularly during peak hours" said an official of CR.

According to Central Railway, the redesigned compartment includes enhanced seating arrangements featuring three 3-seater benches and two 2-seater units, offering a total seating capacity of 13 passengers. To optimize comfort and accessibility, stainless steel tubular partitions with sight-level panels and integrated grab poles have been installed.

Safety enhancements include knurled vertical grab poles at doorway footboards and emergency ladders fitted under both doorframes. In addition, aesthetic improvements such as vinyl wrapping have been used to enhance the visual appeal and ambience of the compartment.

"With the rollout of this first prototype, Central Railway has set a benchmark for future infrastructure upgrades aimed at senior citizen comfort. The initiative marks the beginning of a broader plan to convert all EMU rakes (local trains) in the Central Railway fleet to include similar dedicated compartments gradually."

On Western Railway, the process of introducing senior citizen compartments is progressing. A senior Western Railway official confirmed that a contract has already been awarded to convert one luggage compartment of all non-air-conditioned rakes into dedicated compartments for the elderly. The conversion work is ongoing, and the first rake with this special compartment is expected to be introduced into service soon.

Currently, Western Railway provides 14 seats per train for senior citizens, generally located in the third and twelfth coaches from the Churchgate end. However, due to excessive crowding during rush hours, these seats are often difficult to access, forcing many elderly commuters to travel under unsafe conditions.

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"To address this, Western Railway has decided to convert one luggage compartment in each of its 105 non-AC local train rakes—including 90 twelve-coach and 15 fifteen-coach trains—into a dedicated senior citizen compartment. These newly designed compartments will feature seating capacity for 13 passengers and standing space for 91, significantly improving comfort, accessibility, and safety for older commuters," said an official of Western Railway.