+
First Mumbai Local Train With Dedicated Senior Citizen Coach Ready
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

First Mumbai Local Train With Dedicated Senior Citizen Coach Ready

The first suburban local train in Mumbai featuring a dedicated coach exclusively for senior citizens is now ready at the Matunga station. Designed by the Central Railway’s Matunga Workshop, this coach is similar to compartments reserved for luggage and physically challenged passengers. The workshop plans to modify the remaining 163 trains in the fleet by September 2026. The new train is expected to begin operations within this week.

This dedicated compartment aims to ease the commuting difficulties faced by senior citizens, particularly during rush hours, providing a comfortable and safe travel experience.

The initiative follows a September 2024 directive from the Bombay High Court, which instructed the railways to expedite the creation of reserved spaces for senior citizens. This came after a Public Interest Litigation filed by K P Purushothaman Nair, a lawyer and retired government employee, who sought a separate coach for senior citizens akin to those for physically challenged passengers on Mumbai’s suburban trains.

Currently, each train has seven seats reserved for senior citizens spread across two general compartments, but these remain difficult to access during peak hours. Many seniors are forced to board coaches reserved for physically challenged passengers to avoid overcrowding.

Railway officials informed the court that the Railway Board had approved modification plans to be implemented over two years, without affecting existing train services.

A Central Railway spokesperson confirmed, “Matunga Workshop has rolled out the first Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) rake featuring a dedicated compartment for elderly passengers in the Mumbai suburban network.”

Under Railway Board directives, a dedicated team at Matunga Workshop converted a middle luggage compartment in the sixth coach from the Mumbai end into a reserved space for senior citizens, marking a key step towards inclusive mobility.

Meanwhile, Western Railway plans to convert luggage compartments in 105 non-AC EMU rakes into senior citizen coaches, each providing 13 seats and space for 91 commuters.

The first suburban local train in Mumbai featuring a dedicated coach exclusively for senior citizens is now ready at the Matunga station. Designed by the Central Railway’s Matunga Workshop, this coach is similar to compartments reserved for luggage and physically challenged passengers. The workshop plans to modify the remaining 163 trains in the fleet by September 2026. The new train is expected to begin operations within this week.This dedicated compartment aims to ease the commuting difficulties faced by senior citizens, particularly during rush hours, providing a comfortable and safe travel experience.The initiative follows a September 2024 directive from the Bombay High Court, which instructed the railways to expedite the creation of reserved spaces for senior citizens. This came after a Public Interest Litigation filed by K P Purushothaman Nair, a lawyer and retired government employee, who sought a separate coach for senior citizens akin to those for physically challenged passengers on Mumbai’s suburban trains.Currently, each train has seven seats reserved for senior citizens spread across two general compartments, but these remain difficult to access during peak hours. Many seniors are forced to board coaches reserved for physically challenged passengers to avoid overcrowding.Railway officials informed the court that the Railway Board had approved modification plans to be implemented over two years, without affecting existing train services.A Central Railway spokesperson confirmed, “Matunga Workshop has rolled out the first Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) rake featuring a dedicated compartment for elderly passengers in the Mumbai suburban network.”Under Railway Board directives, a dedicated team at Matunga Workshop converted a middle luggage compartment in the sixth coach from the Mumbai end into a reserved space for senior citizens, marking a key step towards inclusive mobility.Meanwhile, Western Railway plans to convert luggage compartments in 105 non-AC EMU rakes into senior citizen coaches, each providing 13 seats and space for 91 commuters.

Next Story
Real Estate

No glass boxes!

India is moving away from the ‘glass box’ syndrome, all-glass façades that were widely used in commercial buildings in the last two decades but came at a significant environmental cost given the country’s predominantly hot and humid climate. Poor thermal performance, excessive heat gain and dependency on mechanical cooling systems made buildings with glass façades energy guzzlers and significantly increased their carbon footprint.That said, it’s important to be aware that “glass is not the enemy,” points out Heena Bhargava, Architect, Architecture Discipline. “How it ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Why do pavements fail?

India’s highways continue to expand at a healthy pace. But conversations on the surface quality of highways are growing louder because major deficiencies and black spots continue to be identified, and they are cause for concern.“Road surface roughness causes vehicle vibrations that, in turn, can affect the performance of drivers,” explains Dr V K Gahlot, Road Safety Auditor, Centre for Research and Sustainable Development (CfRSD). “Continuous exposure may induce fatigue, a contributory factor to road accidents. Road surface roughness also affects the vehicle operating cost...

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

APAC Logistics Rents Fall for First Time Since 2020

Logistics rents across the Asia-Pacific region declined 0.4% year-on-year in H1 2025, marking the first annual drop since 2020, according to Knight Frank’s Logistics Highlights H1 2025 report. Despite global trade tensions and cautious occupier sentiment, India emerged as a standout performer, driven by robust manufacturing momentum and supply chain recalibration.Regional Trends and DivergenceWhile rents largely remained stable across most markets, regional differences became more pronounced:Mainland China continued to see rental declines, though the pace of decline moderated to 12.8% YoY, s..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?