In a major step towards improving travel comfort and safety for elderly commuters, Western Railway is set to convert one luggage compartment in its local trains into a special coach reserved for senior citizens. This initiative, estimated to cost ₹5.4 crore, is being implemented following an order from the Bombay High Court. Every day, nearly 50,000 senior citizens travel via Mumbai’s local trains. Responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) demanding better facilities for elderly passengers, the court had directed the railway authorities to allow senior citizens to use luggage compartments for travel. Acting on this directive, Western Railway has initiated plans to repurpose these coaches.
Current Challenges and New Arrangements
At present, only 14 seats are reserved for senior citizens on Western Railway locals—located in the 3rd and 12th coaches from the Churchgate end. However, during peak hours, reaching these reserved sections can be difficult due to overcrowding. To address this issue, the Railway Board has approved the conversion of the 7th coach from the Churchgate end—currently designated for luggage—into a fully dedicated senior citizen coach. The tender process for this transformation has already begun.
Phased Implementation Across 105 Trains
A railway official stated that each of these special coaches will have seating capacity for 13 passengers and standing room for 91 more. To ensure ease of boarding and alighting, the coaches will feature separate entry and exit points. Importantly, other luggage coaches will remain operational as usual. The conversion will be carried out in phases and is expected to be completed within a year. A total of 105 non-air-conditioned Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) rakes will be upgraded under this initiative.
Western Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Vineet Abhishek, confirmed the development and stated: "In consideration of the comfort and safety of senior citizens, Western Railway will progressively convert one luggage coach in each of the 105 rakes into a dedicated coach for elderly passengers. This will significantly enhance their travel experience."