Central Railway may cut ladies coaches due to lack of GRP staff

Mumbai: The Central Railway (CR) is mulling over reducing the number of ladies coaches from five to three due to lack of GRP personnel in the night.

In a discussion note, it was mentioned that there are six ladies coaches in a normal train.

On any given day, one of the women’s coaches gets automatically converted into a general compartment between 11.30 and 7.00 am. But due to a lack of strength, the GRP has been able to allot only three constables, leaving two coaches unmanned, said sources.

CR divisional security commissioner Sachin Bhalode said that it is still in the discussion phase. “Nothing has been finalised. In fact we won't do anything without the consent of the officially nominated commuter groups,” he said.

The officially nominated commuter groups include the divisional and suburban railway users consultative committee.

The railway hopes that by doing so, women will travel in only three coaches between 11.30 am to 7.00 am thereby fulfilling the need of having at least one GRP personnel in the remaining three coaches.

“The idea is not to reduce the number of ladies compartments but to balance the number of security personnel available with the coaches,” an official said.

He added, “This has been proposed to be done during the night time travel for women, as the GRP has been able to provide only three until now leaving the two first class ladies unmanned.”

Out of the six coaches three are of the first-class while three of the second class.

The practice is to reduce the number of coaches by converting one of the first class to a general compartment between 11.30 pm and 7.00 am. But now it is being discussed to reduce one more first class compartment, bring down the number of ladies’ compartments to three for night travel post 11.30 pm.