Bhubaneswar: East Coast Railway (ECoR) Friday introduced mobile ramp to help differently-abled passengers board and alight trains.
Physically challenged passengers who have availed the facility described it as a ‘gift of god’.
“I used to cry in agony while boarding a train as I have to crawl. It is for the first time that I entered the train without difficulty. I am grateful to Indian Railway for providing the facility,” said Eswar Rao Dora, a physically challenged passenger visiting Berhampur.
The station has three wheelchairs and any physically challenged person can get this facility by showing his/her identity card to the station officials. Passengers can also approach the Chief Ticket Inspector or any railway officer for the facility.
Top railway officials, however, admitted the capital station requires more ramps to meet the demand.
‘‘We have designed the ramp in a very cost effective manner and more ramps will be provided to Bhubaneswar railway station soon. In fact, we are making modifications to the design and will have better version in the future,’’ said ECoR chief rolling stock engineer Subodh Choudhury.
According to officials, the facility will also be available in other stations of ECoR.
“We will soon introduce this facility at Puri and Visakhapatnam too,” added Choudhury.
ECoR sources said ramps are available in Thiruvananthapuram station of Southern Railway. With its portable ramps and wheelchairs, ECoR is going to be disabled-friendly and all A1 railway stations will be provided with such facilities under phase I.
Significantly, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had announced recently his ministry was committed to making 500 stations across the country disabled-friendly and Bhubaneswar is among the first stations to provide portable ramps.
“Currently, the ramp has been introduced on a trial basis. The facility can be availed of at all A1 stations shortly. The porters will lift the ramp and set it against the compartment door.”
The facility is being extended to all stations under ECoR ambit as part of the government’s Accessible India Campaign aimed at assisting persons afflicted by disabilities. PNN