Indian Railways
Reservation for senior citizens

Respected Hon. Minister for Railways,

As retired Chief Medical Officer and a senior citizen aged 79 years, I am constrained to bring to your kind notice of the travails myself and my wife who also retired from service as a railway doctor and also a senior citizen of 77 years, had to face repeatedly during our travels to Yashwantpur from Howrah and back during the past two years.

Whenever we applied for reservation in A.C. II-tier after ascertaining availability, we were invariably allotted side lower and upper berths. Whenever I request the computer reservation clerk at Durgapur station to allot me lower berth in view of my age, they say they cannot change the allotment. At my age and physical condition, it is very difficult to climb up and down the side upper berth. Several times I was asked by the train staffs to attend sick passengers in other coaches which I did by suffering to get up and down the side upper berths in addition to my own personal needs.

The same answer is given by the train TTE although lower berths might be vacant at the starting station. This happened on 17.3.2008 at Yashwantpur when the TTE on duty in II A.C. of train no.2864 curtly told me that lower berth was “not available” when as many as 16 berths were vacant at the starting station and he himself had a lower berth! I witnessed many young men being allotted lower berths in the same coach, subsequently by the same TTE.

My humble request to you, Sir are –

1. That senior citizens should be allotted lower berths reservation inside cubicles as a rule, if necessary, out of turn;

2. The train TTE should also ensure the same as a rule for the senior citizens.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

Dr J.M.Ghosh & Dr Ira Ghosh

(PNR NO. 450-7902165)

Company: Indian Railways
Country: India

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