Senior citizens and women can now book a trolley service in advance to ensure smooth boarding and alighting from trains at important stations across the country.

The round-the-clock service can be availed after paying a nominal fee.

“There will be modern trolleys at all important stations across the country soon to assist senior citizens and women passengers in boarding and alighting from coaches along with their luggage,” a senior Railway Ministry official said.

Passengers will have to pay a nominal fee for the service. The fees will be decided by the zonal railways according to the local conditions and it would be displayed prominently at stations.

The trolleys would be handled by uniformed attendants who will be called as Rail Yatri Sevaks.

“The trolley service would be first introduced in Howrah and Sealdah stations on a PPP model as a pilot project and later on extended to other stations,” the official said, adding “a specific telephone number will soon be notified on which women and senior citizens can book the luggage trolley in advance.”

The Railways have tied up with SBI to launch the trolley service at Sealdah and Howrah.

According to the arrangement, SBI will provide the trolleys and look after their maintenance. The bank will also be responsible for engaging Rail Yatri Sevaks for the service.

While the railways is not spending anything on the project, it would allow SBI to use the specified space on trolleys for advertisement, said the official.

Railway will earmark particular space at the platforms for the parking and movement of trolleys, according to the agreement with SBI, which will also provide uniforms to the Rail Yatri Sevaks.

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