Indian Railways’ Northeast Frontier Railway zone has started a unique initiative to earmark a special portion of the Second Class-cum-Luggage-cum Guard’s Coach (SLR) coach with pink colour. This is done to specially help the women passengers with better safety and security. This special colour will help the women passenger to easily identify the coach at the platform even during rush hours. Section 58 of the Railways Act, 1989 provides for earmarking of accommodation for female passengers in trains. Accordingly Indian Railways need to provide second class accommodation for women in the SLR in most of the long distance trains.
SLR coaches with especially Pink coloured portion for lady passengers were placed into operation by the Rangiya Division of NFR in passenger trains bearing number 55817 / 55818, 55803 / 55804 and 55809 / 55810 which run between New Bongaigaon and Guwahati. Similar earmarking has also been done in passenger train no 55895 / 55896 which runs between Rangiya and Murkongselek.
In some trains, depending on the nature of the coach, the same has been earmarked both for lady passengers as well as Divyangjan. NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Pranav Jyoti Sharma said on Sunday that this colour will help the women passengers to easily identify the coaches even during rush hours.
Sharma said that the NFR hopes that the new initiative will enhance security of women. The Railway authorities will deploy RPF and ticket checking staff to stabilise the new system, he said.
