Baby Berths in Trains: Indian Railways has taken a new step in a bid to make rail travel experience better for passengers travelling with infants. In order to make train journeys more convenient and comfortable for those travelling with babies, the national transporter has fitted foldable “baby berths” for infant passengers on the side of the lower main berths of the Lucknow Mail Train. The move is a part of a pilot project, a PTI report said. According to officials quoted in the report, plans will be drawn to expand the concept of baby berths to other train services, based on the feedback received by railway passengers on the new product.
According to the report, the baby berths, which are fitted to the lower main berths of Lucknow Mail, can be folded as well as secured with a stopper when not in use. The baby berth has been is aligned with the main berth. On 27 April 2022, two baby berths which are 770 mm in length, 255 mm in width as well as 76.2 mm in height, were fitted to 12 and 60 main berths of the second cabins on both the ends of coaches on the Lucknow Mail train.
An official from the Northern Railway zone was quoted in the report saying that this has been done on a trial basis. However, the move will be expanded once it gets positive feedback from railway passengers, the official said. Once the railway tries it out more and records the feedback, Indian Railways will put the necessary details on the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) where it can be booked by passengers on request, the official further said.
The baby berth booking system will be like the one Indian Railways currently use to offer senior citizens lower berths. So, once a railway passenger says yes to travelling with a child, the national transporter will offer the berth to them. However, currently, it is at a nascent stage, the Northern Railway official added. At present, there is no mechanism to book the lower berth for women passengers who are travelling with babies.
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